The Past is the Past
by arw2
Summary: Sidney Crosby finally met the girl of his dreams but how far is he willing to go to keep her? Max Talbot has finally decided to settle down, but will it be as easy as it seems?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_"I heard Max is having a BBQ… are you going?"_

"Yeah probably, it's hard to avoid his parties. If I don't go, I'll just be up all night complaining about the noise. I might as well partake in the noise."

_"You are too funny. The only girl in the world that would pass up an opportunity to hang out with professional hockey players!"_

"I work with professional hockey players… believe me, that kills any illusion! The crude jokes, the BO, the smelly equipment…"

_"Their abs, their butts, their perfectly shaped pecs…"_

"Did I mention their smelly equipment? Oh my god, there isn't even words to describe the smelly equipment! Nope, there is definitely nothing appealing about hockey players… except the big cheques they sign me every week."

_"You work mostly with teenagers, we are talking NHL guys here…"_

"Right, sorry but a hockey player is a hockey player. They all smell. "

_"Whatever Amber, all I am saying, is that not all of us see only bad in the world. Some of us are willing to sacrifice our nose hairs for just a minute between the sheets with one of those boys. So can I come to the party? I heard Staal is coming up… if not, there is always Tanger again… it wasn't **SO** bad last time…"_

"That's not what you said the morning after… and fine, you can come but you are NOT sleeping at my place! Even with my parents away, I need to get some sleep before heading to the cottage tomorrow or I am bound to drive off the road."

_"Fine! Jeez, you're so picky! It might do you some good to pick yourself up your own hockey player… how longs it been?"_

"That is NONE of your business!"

_"I am just sayin, I doubt Max would ever say no…"_

"No, isn't even a word in Max's limited vocabulary… and I am certainly not interested! That boy has been with half of Montreal and I am sure more then half of Pittsburgh. Thanks but I will pass!"

_"You are going to have to get over it eventually…You know he loves you…"_

"Max loves himself and sleeping with a different woman every night, that's what Max loves. I swore Max off years ago, he's a bad drug and I kicked the habit. We are better as friends then anything else."

_"There is just something romantic about marrying the boy next door… who just happened to make it big."_

"Romantic is not a word for that hairy beast, let me tell ya! No it's not happening and we both know it."

_"I don't think he knows it…"_

"Amy that's enough! I am going to hang up now."

_"Fine, fine, fine… I will see you tonight! I will be by around 7."_

"K, see you then and you better be on your best behaviour!"

_"Yeah, right! Ciao"_

And with that Amber hung up the phone and leaned back against her bed. Amy had been her friend since junior high but sometimes she just didn't get it. Her and Max were done, a disaster of epic proportions that she didn't have the energy to re visit. It was fine when they were in high school, annoying when she was in college and Max was playing in the AHL but now she had a real job and wanted desperately to be taken seriously, as one of the only females at Hockey Canada. The last thing she needed was some dumb ass move by Max getting around the locker rooms. Hockey players gossiped like high school girls and she was not going to blow her future with some stupid mistake. At least not another one.

-.-

"Ah mon amie! Beinevenue au Montreal!"

"Come on man, how many times have we been to Montreal?"

"Oh, not like this man! Not like this! We are always in rush… this time you here to relax, see the city, see the girls… you can't find better girls then in Montreal, eh!"

"That's not why I am here Max. I am here to relax, take 5 minutes off of my life and just hang out. Besides you owe me some fishing and I am going to tip YOUR boat."

"Dat was an accident! And we will head out to lake tomorrow, but tonight, we are having a BBQ at my parents. We can play hockey in _my_ basement. I kick you ass here. Some of the guys are coming in, it will be fun! Relax and have a beer and talk to some girls."

Sid rolled his eyes at his team mate and loaded his suitcase into the back of Max's truck. He doubted Max ever thought of anything except his next lay. But it would be good to see some of the guys before the season started. He hadn't had much time to see many of them, maybe one or two, here and there, but not just to hang out and have a drink. Max of course could always be counted on to show up at everyone's house during the summer, so he had seen quite a bit of him. He had seen Dupes at the Winter Classic Presser but he had been scheduled for a half dozen events that day, so he barely got a chance to chat. His plan to go to Russia and see Geno had been foiled with a commercial shoot that went over time.

And he had seen Flower at the Olympic celebration in Edmonton which was an event he needed to get out of his mind, as soon as possible. Maybe flirting with some of Max's girls would help shake the images out of his head. Somehow he doubted it. Every time he closed his eyes he imagined her. Her body, her lips, her touch, her laugh. He hadn't even been able to think about another girl since Vancouver. Then seeing her again in Edmonton was just another reminder of how messed up he was. Any other guy would just pat himself on the back and shake it off. Any other guy would be relieved when they woke up in the morning and the girl had slipped out already. No awkward, 'I'll call you' moment. Any other guy would have moved on the next girl and forgotten all about previous one… even if it was the best sex, which it was, with the perfect woman, which she was. She made him feel normal, like a regular guy. She didn't treat him differently and she understood him, not just from googling him, but really understood what he had to deal with. Even with all the craziness in Vancouver, she somehow made it seem like it was just them, there, enjoying an everyday moment. It was FAR from an everyday moment. It was a perfect moment.

_And it will be a perfect memory and that's all_, Sid thought as he shook his head and climbed into the passenger seat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Sorry guys, I know you all wanted to get out and see the torch and go to an event but we need the extra practice time and you need to keep your head in the game. We are not to here to sight see, we are here to win. "

There was a low grumble around the room but they all knew there temporary coach was right. The loss to the US had been devastating and now they were playing Russia. Losing this game, would mean the end of their Gold Medal hopes, would mean embarrassing their country at home. This was just unacceptable.

"So, I have secured some ice time at a Junior Rink tonight and tomorrow morning. The bus leaves from the village at 6:30. Everyone needs to be ready to go. Any promo events that you had scheduled, need to be re scheduled. So go see Amber as soon as you can, she will do her best. Otherwise, get a nap and get a meal and we will see you soon enough."

The boys finished un-dressing. Their morning practice had been a rough one, still down from their loss from last night. They all knew they had to shake it off in order to find the next gear they needed but it wasn't as easy as it was when playing for their home team. Every game felt like a game seven of the Stanley cup final, and Sid should know. He had already played in two of them, in a row. Thank god they won the last one. It took so much out of you to loose a game like that… never mind representing your country against their biggest rival.

"So I guess that means you," Iggy turned to Sid and laughed.

"It always means me," Sid agreed.

"The face of the NHL at the Winter Olympics in his home country," Iggy stated with his best reporter voice. A couple of the other guys in the room laughed.

"Its all part of the package," Sid shook his head and pulled a shirt over his head. "Think Amber will be upset that I didn't shower? I am going to go stink up her office."

"She is probably used to it, she works mostly with the junior teams, so at least you aren't still in puberty… well mostly out of it…"

"Haha… see you at 6:30."

"See ya kid."

-.-

Sid knocked lightly on her door. He hated that most of this girl's job was balancing his personal schedule. She was supposed to juggle the whole team, but the press only ever wanted to talk to him. 'What's it like representing your country?" "What's it like playing against your adversary?" "What's it like to not get checked by Pronger?" The questions could be asked of any member of this team but they only ever asked him. It was getting a little more then annoying. More then once he had to bit his tongue from saying, 'go ask someone else'.

"Come in."

Sid slowly opened the door. The water pressure in the Athletes Village was better then at the rink and he had hoped that he could just head straight back but of course his plan never worked out the way he wanted it. Now we was standing in front of Amber wishing he had taken the time after all.

"Hey, I need to do some re-arranging…"

"Again? Seriously? Why this time?"

"Babock scheduled a practice for this evening and tomorrow morning. We were supposed to go to the ski cross this afternoon and have tomorrow off but after losing…"

"Ah punishment… gotcha."

"Something like that… sorry to do this to you again…"

"It doesn't really affect me… the reporters will be angry but if they want you they will wait and they have learnt not to put up to much of a fuss after the Russian team cancelled a press conference all together," Amber turned to her computer screen. "So I guess this means, I am canceling the sight seeing tour tomorrow morning?"

"Yup… we aren't here to sight see, we are here to win," Sid replied, imitating the coaches words.

"So, you don't get to see the torch at all?"

"I guess not… unless you can smuggle me out of the village in the middle of the night, under the cover of darkness?" Sid laughed, only half kidding. He and his sister were going to have a contest as to who could get a better picture of the torch, and it looked like she was going to win by default… actually getting to see it.

"I can already see the headlines _Sidney Crosby goes missing from Olympic Village_", Amber laughed.

"Followed by '_Caught with girl,'"_ Sid added and laughed knowing full well that the second part would be the part that would be the most trouble.

"Yeah, I wonder how long I would keep my job after that!" Amber turned back to her computer and laughed. He loved listening to her laugh. He wasn't normally the tell jokes, goof around type of guy but with her it just came easily. At the training camp in the summer, she had spent hours working with him and his agent on scheduling and contracts and making sure the long list of demands from the league and team were met. She stayed calm and flexible even when Pat was being a pain and the hours ticked by. He was the only player on the team that came with such extensive requirements and he felt insecure about himself being worth it to the team. What if he didn't score? Didn't produce anything? All her work and all the media attention would be worth nothing. He wanted to leave his mark on these games, sometimes for no other reason then to make her time worth it.

"So, I moved the press conference to noon tomorrow. If you aren't finished practice yet, they will just have to wait. Don't wear the white sweater, wear the red one. You look better in red," Amber added with a smile that made Sid blush.

"Thanks, I owe you again."

"It's my job… how else could I get tickets to the hockey games? They aren't cheap you know!"

"I have no idea actually…"

"Oh poor you…" Amber poked fun at him. "The superstar doesn't have to pay for anything!"

"Thanks…" Sid said while turning towards the door. 'See you later."

"For sure," Amber agreed. "Oh, and Sid…"

Sid turned to look back at her.

"… next time you come to my office, could you shower first? You seriously reek."

"Sorry," He offered as his cheeks turned a dark shade of red and he left the room.

-.-

The practice was grueling. He now understood why the Red Wings were such a good team… not because they liked winning but because they were probably afraid of practice after losing. Babcock was far from his regular coach, who was firm but still understood that losing happened. Losing was simply not an option for Babcock. And it wasn't an option for their team, so Sid understood and worked his hardest. He had been producing okay up to this point, but he had missed a lot of really good opportunities that should have gone in but just hadn't. Practice would certainly help but at the same time, he was really looking forward to putting his head on his pillow and falling asleep. When all the others left the ice, he stayed on to get in a couple of extra shots and get some time to clear his mind. There would be a long line for the showers and everyone was used to him being last on the bus due to reporters, so it was his chance to get a moments peace without inconveniencing anyone. He shot the puck on the net one last time, hearing the sharp ding, as the puck hit the bar at the back of the net. He skated around and picked up the puck on his stick and bounced a few times before heading off the ice.

Back in the dressing room, most players were either in the shower or done and heading to the bus. Sid stripped out of equipment and debated having a shower at the rink or back at the athlete's village. After being told earlier how bad he stunk, he opted for a shower before getting back on the bus and heckled by the guys, who would definitely not be so kind about his odour as Amber had been.

He grabbed his towel and shampoo and headed for the shower. The water pressure sucked and was barely hot, after most of the rest of the team had showered, except those who decided to shower back at the village, usually the older guys that wouldn't get heckled as much out of respect or fear of getting schooled the next day in practice - guys like Brodeaur and Pronger, they didn't get messed with too much.

Nevertheless, Sid washed his hair and let the slightly cool water flow down his body. He tried scrubbing some of the dirty spots off, but soon realized they weren't dirt so much as mid season bruises bound to get much worse by playoff time. He used the lather from the shampoo to wash the sweat from his body and found his mind wandering to topics not appropriate for open showers. He wondered what it would be like to have Amber wash his body for him, to have her there and to prove that he didn't normally smell that bad. He imagined what it would take to get her there and how great it would feel to wrap his arms around someone instead of spending another night alone with his snoring male room mate.

"You're the last one again kid. Hurry it up!"

Sid quickly snapped back into reality and turned off the taps. He quickly dried his face and shook out his hair before wrapping the towel around his waist and heading out of the room.

He got back to his locker and leaned into it. His thoughts in the shower had been inappropriate and he knew better. Staff was off limits. It was yet another un-written rule of the hockey world. Besides, how many guys have probably made a pass at her? There weren't many women working with pro hockey players and those who did, were well, not bound to get hit on, as much as avoided – scary team mom types.

"Hey Sid, they said you were in here. I need you to sign these forms for the league. I swear you signed them already but according to the PA, they were never filed and unless you want to go home tomorrow, they need to be signed now," Amber came around the corner of the dressing room, looking down at a stack of papers in her hand. When she looked up her cheeks started to warm.

"Oh, uh, sorry… I assumed you would be dressed by now."

"I am always the last one… I am surprised I don't get more grief about it," Sid replied awkwardly adjusting his towel that suddenly didn't seem big enough. He was far from self conscious about his body – at least in front of the guys. In this world if you showed the slightest hint of self consciousness, you never heard the end of it. The guys would bug you forever. But suddenly, he was all too aware of his self perceived flaws, as Amber stood in front of him

"Right, well I will just leave these with you and I'll wait outside, if you have any questions."

"I'll be right out. Just give me a minute."

"Sure, take your time."

-.-

Damn. She had tried desperately not to stare. She knew he was attractive but … damn. She closed her eyes and pictured him again. She had to bit her lip to stop herself from letting her mind wander to far. She shook her head and told herself again, 'He is just a regular guy, you need to act professionally'. Normally she had no problem with this. She was surrounded by hockey players all the time, the appeal of them to the puck bunnies that stood outside the arenas had been lost on her since she was a kid. She had dated a couple of hockey players in her past but found them all to be the same – they thought of nothing but how to score next – on and off the ice. She reminded herself that he was probably the same as all the guys back home – the nice guy routine was just a media creation for the sake of the Canadian image. Hell, she would tell him to act the same way if she was his PR advisor. He probably had just as many skeletons in his closet as the next macho-ego overloaded so-called hockey God.

But damn… that chest.

'No,' she said out loud to herself, shaking her head as if to make the dirty thoughts fall out. 'Stay on topic. Paperwork, schedules and contracts. Let's get this done.'

"Normally talk to yourself?" A voice came from around the corner.

"At least you decided to shower this time," She retorted.

"Just for you!" Sid laughed, and then handed her the pile of forms. "I think I got them all, but you may want to check."

"Good God Sid, stop flirting with the girl and get on the damn bus!" Iginla yelled down the hallway, only half annoyed.

"I'll look them over and if you missed anything, I'll let you know."

"You know where I live." Sid offered, as he started walking towards the exit. "It will be the perfect cover story for when you come to break me out!"

"Yeah, right."

"Goodnight." He yelled back as he left the building.

_Damn_. Amber thought and collapsed against the wall behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Are you seriously wearing that?" Amber looked at her friend's ridiculously slutty outfit with shock.

"I don't want there to be any mixed messages about my intent to get laid tonight."

"That is certainly not going to be the case."

"Good. Do you know who's coming?"

"No, but I didn't exactly ask "hey max, Amy wants to know which friends of yours are coming, so she can better plan who she is going to bang?"'

"Do you think Sidney Crosby is coming? Fuck, he's hot."

"I doubt it. I hear his schedule is crazy. I doubt he has time to relax at home, never mind come to Montreal to drink at Max's childhood home."

Amber went back to applying her makeup. Suddenly she felt a slight cold sweat come over her. She hoped he wasn't coming. The last couple of meetings with him hadn't exactly ended well.

"The things I would do to that boy… it would take weeks for him to get his skating legs back."

"I don't even want to know what your dirty mind can come up with."

"Well then, we should go," Amy stated, while peering out Amber's bedroom window. "It looks like the party is quite underway. Mmmm… come to momma boys…" Amy adjusted her chest in her strapless dress and checked herself in the mirror.

"Coming?" Amber offered while watching her friend make her last minute adjustments.

"Hopefully multiple times!" Amy replied her sultriest voice.

Amber shook her head and laughed before heading downstairs and out the front door.

-.-

"Oh, man. That was a sick game. Did you see Jager totally took out Ovi? It was one of my happiest moments all summer!" Dupes offered as he recalled one of the best moments of the World Championships.

"I can't believe they lost. Their team was totally stacked, it should have been an easy shutdown," Tanger added while cramming a huge bit of hot dog in his face.

"Anyone talk to Geno?" Max asked, passing out another round of beers to his buddies.

"I was supposed to head out there, but got stuck making another damn shoe commercial," Sid shook his head.

"It can't suck as much as the last one!" Stall laughed, as he poked his captain in the ribs. "That was embarrassing, man. Do you really have no control over that crap?"

"Don't go there man… we have all made bad commercials… hey '_Superstar_'?" Sid laughed at Max's commercial.

"How was dat a bad commercial? You know how much pussy I got after dat?"

"That's the new contract negotiation for Max… in exchange for staring in your terrible commercial, I expect 'x' amount of girls to spread their legs." Dupuis added.

"Speaking of girls…" Tanger said happily, pointing with his chin towards the gate of Max's backyard. "Finally! I was afraid this was going to turn into a cock fest."

"Non, non, mon amie, mon oncle Max, takes care of his friends." Max smiled rubbing his hands together. "More on the way too, I hope."

Sid turned his head, towards where the girls had come in. One girl was starring straight over at them, wearing not much more then a dish towel and crazy spiked heels. He never understood why girls dressed like that. Clearly some guys like it, like Tanger, who was practically drooling already, but outfits like that just didn't do it for him. The other girl had her back to them but was wearing jean shorts and a red tank top, much more his style. She was hugging Max's mom.

"Boys, you are going to meet my future wife…" Max said quickly, before bounding across the yard and swooping the girl in jean shorts up in his arms for a huge bear hug.

Sid forgot to breath… as Max walked over to the group with his arm around the shoulders of the girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Good game."

"Thanks. I didn't actually do anything but I haven't been that nervous in a really long time."

"Just 'cause you didn't score doesn't mean you didn't do anything."

"Actually it does."

Amber rolled her eyes at Sid. "I am guessing you didn't come here to argue with me?"

"I am not arguing, I am just saying…"

"Well now you're arguing that you aren't arguing…"

Sid grit his teeth and starred at her. She didn't seem like a woman that would give in and he certainly wasn't the type of guy too, but he didn't see this conversation going anywhere.

"I was told to come and grab a new press schedule."

"Right, I'll just print you a copy." Amber turned to her computer to open the file. "So now you play Slovakia?"

"Yup. Should be a good game. Are you going?"

"For sure. Only perk to the job."

"Other then, of course, the privilege of re arranging schedules for over entitled sports stars…"

"Oh right, that, silly me…" Amber laughed as she turned the power off of her computer. "Maybe this game you could actually do something?"

"Ouch. Straight to the heart on that one," Sid replied, pretending to have been shot.

"Goodnight." Amber offered, as she gathered her purse and jacket. Not that she needed her jacket, at these so-called 'Winter' Olympics. Back home, weather like this came in June. She headed towards the door, hoping the Sid would get the hint to go. She was tired and ready to pack it in for the night. She took another step towards the light switch. He didn't move but instead locked eyes with her. He hadn't realized how beautiful her eyes were. Royal Blue, surrounded by lush brown eyelashes. He couldn't look away, didn't really want to either.

"Sid…"

"Right… sorry, good night." His cheeks flushed again. He hadn't realized that he had been staring, the silence had been awkward but he had zoned out starring at her. He turned and headed down the hall to the exit of the make shift Team Canada building. Now he was embarrassed. He needed to concentrate on hockey and here he was acting like a stupid teenager, drooling over some woman with big blue eyes.

Gorgeous, big, blue eyes.

And lush full lips, he couldn't help but think about. And her skin, he was sure, given the opportunity to test his theory, that it would be the softest skin he had ever touched. She always wore very professional clothes but now he found himself wondering what was on underneath them. Was she a practical underwear sort of girl? Or maybe she was actually not as she appeared in her cloths but instead wore black lace with a little bow in the middle?

Sid stopped before climbing on the bus, and felt the need to adjust his pants, which had gotten significantly tighter along his walk to the bus. The guys would never let him live it down, if there was even a slight indication that he was thinking about anything other then hockey.

Tomorrow was a practice day, followed by yet another press conference, a photo shoot and a private lunch for some investors that had paid an awful lot of money to have lunch with the team. Then they were going to watch the women's gold medal game. He would have no time to think tomorrow. And that was probably a good thing.

-.-

'_What was that?_' Amber wondered as she walked down the busy streets of Vancouver to her hotel room. She choose not to drive home but instead took a car service and had the driver drop her off a few blocks early, in the hopes that the cold night air would shake the burning red from her cheeks.

It felt like he was locked onto a target, about to shoot a torpedo through her head… or worse, kiss her. But she decided that it was clearly the torpedo, because unlike in her own head, not every guy was flirting with her. Some guys, guys like Sidney Crosby, really only thought about hockey… he had probably just zoned out envisioning shooting a puck.

'_It was nothing more then that._' She told herself over and over. '_Get over yourself_'

As she entered her hotel, people where gathered talking about the game. People couldn't believe 8-2 win over Russia and Sidney Crosby didn't even score? Is he sick? Is he injured? Maybe he shouldn't have been on this team after all. Maybe Gretzky was right not to include him in 2006.

The comments were too much to take. Working in the hockey world, she had gotten used to tuning out the negative comments. Everyone in Canada seemed to think they would be a better Team Canada manager then the guy actually doing the job. Normally it didn't bother her. But today, she found herself sensitive to it. People just had no idea, what it took to win at this level. Sid wasn't exactly sitting around, twittling his thumbs. It took more then scoring to win at hockey. And he was still one of the highest point producers on the team and they still had two games to play, hopefully. Saturday against Slovakia and then Sunday's gold medal game, which they just had to be in. Just had to.

Amber made her way through the crowded lobby and into an elevator. She finally got to her door and went in. It was good to be in the peace and quiet. Moments of calm were few and far between here. Tomorrow would be a calm day for her, calm before the storm she thought, as the team moved closer and closer to Sunday's big game. She would need to clear her head, maybe get a chance to do some shopping…

-.-

Friday went by quickly… too quickly. The women's hockey team won their third straight Gold Medal. The pressure was on now for the men to produce as well. The medal count was climbing and the patriotism was palpable. It was so un-Canadian to be so visibly proud but nobody seemed to mind. In fact, even some of the biggest Olympic ney-sayers had joined into the spirit, if for no other reason then the overwhelming love of country.

Saturday looked to be like a regular hockey game schedule. Practice. Nap. Eat. Play. The only difference being one of the teams was potentially going home without a medal and the other team was going to play the USA in the Olympic gold medal game.

The coaching staff had their hands full, trying to keep their team calm and grounded. Everywhere they went they were cheered as heros and they hadn't proven themselves worthy yet. It's hard to keep your head on your shoulders when you are surrounded by so much hype.

But the day progressed as it should have.

'_Practice. Check. Nap. Check. Eat. Mmm… check. Play. Check.'_ Sid thought to himself, adding one more box._ 'Win. Check_.' It hadn't been as easy as they wanted but they managed to beat the Slovaks and their impossibly good goaltender. He found himself sitting on the bench, after yet another mediocre shower, wondering how the time had passed so quickly. Tomorrow was the end. The end of the Olympics. His last chance to do something, to make his mark, was tomorrow. He hadn't even had a chance to look around Vancouver. He still hadn't seen the torch. It seemed to have gone by so fast. He would be leaving Vancouver in two days. Now he was at least guaranteed a medal. But which would it be – silver or gold?

He sat back and leaned his head against the wall. He was always told during the playoffs to take it all in cause you never know if you were going to leave it a winner and when you were going to be back. It was true here too. Who knows what 2014 will look like, if NHL players will even be allowed to go. And since Canada beat Russia, leaving them medal-less, they would be out for blood on their home turf.

He closed his eyes and imagined winning Gold. He imagined being on the ice, having scored the golden goal, everyone cheering his name. He used to imagine the same thing as a kid but now it was a real possibility. There were twenty other guys on the team that all wanted to score the golden goal, so his chances were slim but he was determined to try his hardest. He imagined his father congratulating him, his mother crying, his sister being jealous and then he let his mind wander to Amber wrapping his arms around him. He could practically taste her lips on his, feel her skin under his hands. Thank God everyone had left the dressing room already, cause there was physical evidence of this thoughts, as his towel raised and his thoughts wandered through all the things he would like to do to her.

"So, you are really always the last to leave?"

Sid practically jumped, as Amber came around the corner. He quickly reached for his pants, and plopped them over his lap to cover his erection.

"The press is waiting."

"Oh right, sorry… I just sorta zoned out."

"Yeah well, sorry to interrupt but its time to zone back in. So if you could get dressed… I am sure your adoring female fans wouldn't mind you doing an interview in a towel but the male ones may not appreciate it."

Sid looked up and caught her eyes again. He had successfully avoided being alone with her for the last two days, after their last awkward encounter. But now he was in trouble. He couldn't walk away, there was no one to interrupt and he wanted her… bad.

"I'll let you get dressed and be waiting just outside."

"I'll be quick. Promise."

"Good, I hate waiting." Amber turned around and walked out of the dressing room.

Sid stood up and quickly gathered his clothes. He had to stop thinking about her naked. He had to think about anything but… smelly jock straps, dirty showers, nasty hits… '_shake it off Crosby_' he thought to himself. He pulled his Olympic sweater over his head, before heading out of the dressing room.

Amber was talking on the phone. Clearly to a friend, as she was relaxed and joking. She threw her head back and laughed. Sid smiled. She was gorgeous, he couldn't help but think it. He tried with all his will power to shake any further thoughts from his mind. He walked over to where she was standing.

"K, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later. Luv ya too. Bye." Amber hung up the phone and slid it into her purse.

"Boyfriend?" Sid asked, trying to act non-chalant. The idea of another guy getting to touch her was more then he could handle right now.

"Mom. Just checking in. Doesn't trust hockey players…" Amber said with a smile, sensing the tension in Sid's voice.

"Oh…" Sid's exhaled in relief. _Maybe a little too obvious_, he thought to himself.

"Down the hall, door on the right. Probably the same old questions, but a little more emphasis on your up coming opponent. Ready?"

"This part is easy," Sid offered, as they headed down the hall. "Winning tomorrow is the challenge."

"Don't think about it."

"I only have time to think, there is nothing else to do."

"Well there is something…" Amber said with a coy smile, as she opened the door to the Press room. Sid felt his cheeks turn red again as flashes started going off.

"You kill me." Sid shook his head and headed toward the press table. Amber watched as he handled the questions with ease. He seemed relaxed in front of the cameras, something she imagined came with experience. His life was far from normal, questions about everything he did all the time. The PC answered just rolled off his tongue, nothing too revealing, nothing that would lead to a storyline. He made the media work for their own storylines. He was a PR advisors dream – boring and polite.

-.-

After the presser was done, Sid left the stage and walked down the hall to where the bus normally waited. Because he had taken his time leaving the dressing room, the bus had left. He was going to have to call the car service for a ride.

"I can drop you off," he heard a familiar voice coming up behind him. "The bus left about twenty minutes ago. You didn't think that they would wait all night did you?"

"No, I just thought I would check. I can call the car service. You don't need to drive me." Sid offered pulling out his phone.

"It's no problem," Amber reassured him. "And maybe we could take a little detour…"

"For real? You would do that for me?" Sid said excitedly, knowing exactly what she was referring to.

"If I get fired for kidnapping you, you are going to have a new manager, you understand… and I am not cheap!"

"It's a deal!"

"I am parked out back."

Sid practically skipped to his car, digging in his bag for his camera. '_Take that Taylor_', he thought as he climbed in the passenger seat of Amber's rental vehicle.

-.-

"Wow, just wow," Sid sighed, leaning back against the wind shield of the car, with a Tim Horton's hot chocolate in his hands. "The city looks amazing, it just glows." Sid was in awe. The evening had been perfect, he couldn't have planned a better date if he had tried… not that it was a date… but if it had been, it would have been perfect. They had gone to see the torch, with a huge parka on, so that no one would recognize him. They had ended up faking bad British accents, to further throw the crowd off their scent. Not that it was needed because nobody suspected him at all, but it was hilarious and by the end of their visit neither of them could stop laughing.

They got back in the car and Amber decided that what she was missing was a Tim Horton's coffee. So they drove until they found one, which took longer then it should have, considering it was Canada and in any other community there was one on every corner, but downtown Vancouver seemed to comprise mostly of Starbucks and other higher end coffee shops. She kept saying 'I just want a freakin double double, how hard can that be?' They drove for what seemed like an eternity, then finally found one. They went through the drive through, and Amber got her double double and strawberry jam buster and Sid ordered a hot chocolate, just like when he was heading home from a game as a kid.

Now they were sitting in a parking lot, on a look-out, just off the highway. There was a light snowfall coming down, but it wasn't cold. They were sitting on the hood of the car, looking out over the city, with its glowing lights and could faintly see the Olympic torch from there. He was totally going to win the photo contest with his sister.

Amber was thoroughly enjoying her coffee. And her donut. He couldn't help but smile.

"What?" She demanded, catching Sid looking her direction.

"I think you just added another twist to our kidnapping headline…"

"Oh? Better then _'caught with girl'_?" She asked.

"_Caught with girl, covered in cocaine." _Sid couldn't contain his laughter, as she turned to face him and had powdered sugar from her donut all over her face.

"I enjoy my food…" Amber offered in defence.

"Apparently so does your nose and forehead…" At this point, he was laughing too hard to contain himself and she attacked him with her donut.

"If I am going down for cocaine possession, you are sooo coming with me!" He tried to protect himself but she nailed him with the donut right on the nose. Jelly squirted out and powdered sugar went everywhere. He grabbed a small piece and attacked back, getting powdered sugar on her cheek before she wrestled back and attacked again.

"Oh no you don't!" Sid grabbed her arms in defense and pinned her to the windshield. They were both covered with sugar and strawberry jelly. But she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And now he was leaning inches from her lips, with her pinned beneath him. His chest tightened, as once again, he caught her eyes. Suddenly nothing was funny anymore. The air between them got tense and serious. He knew he should back off and get in the car and let her take him home. But he was tired of making the 'right' decision. He deserved to be happy, or at least take a chance at it.

He lowered himself to meet her lips. He gently brushed her lips with his, using all his will power to take his time and not kiss her the way he imagined every time he closed his eyes. He waited to feel her kiss him back, before he deepened the kiss. He needed to know that she felt the same way, it wasn't just him, it couldn't be. Her lips slowly parted and he took that as all the encouragement he needed. He kissed her more, tasting the sweetness of her lips, feeling the blood move into his face. He released her arms, still pinned above her head and brought one hand to the side of her face, while using the other arm to prop himself against the window. She kissed him back but let him set the pace. It was slow at first, but the passion increased until he found himself short of breath and had to pull back. As he moved back inches from her face, they locked eyes.

"You are so beautiful. I think about you all the time. I don't normally do this…" Sid searched her eyes for acceptance but she quickly looked away.

"I should take you back, it's late and you have a big game tomorrow."

Sid felt his heart sink in his chest. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the athlete's village and lie alone in his bed listening to his room mate snore… especially now.

"Maybe I could go back with you?" he offered.

"No… you need to go back…" Amber sat up and adjusted her sweater. She wiped the jelly and powdered sugar off her face with her sleeve. "I had a really good time tonight but you should be concentrating on other things… I shouldn't have even brought you out here"

"I needed to get a break. I really appreciated it." Sid leaned forward to kiss her again, but Amber turned her head.

"It's time to go. Back to reality." Amber straightened her back as if it formed her resolve, then slide of the hood of the car and opened the driver's side door. "Please don't make this harder then it is."

Sid felt like punching a wall. He finally had her in his arms, where he wanted her and he blew it. If he hadn't stopped… if he had just powered through, he could have had her. He slide off the car and adjusted his sweater before climbing in the passenger seat.

The car ride back to the village was silent. Just the quiet nattering of the radio. He found himself glancing over at her, trying to get up the will to say something, but not knowing what to say. After what felt like an eternity, she pulled up in front of the gates. He had to walk from here, because she didn't have a pass and they didn't screw around with security. No one who didn't belong got in. He wanted to kiss her good night, but there were swarms of people around the gates and he thought better of it.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Sid asked quietly.

"More then likely." She replied without emotion, starring straight ahead.

"Goodnight"

"Night," and with that Sid climbed out of her car and headed towards his bed, alone - again.


	5. Chapter 5

_*this is my first attempt at a sex scene… so please bare with me…_

**Chapter Five**

"Okay guys, this is the moment you have all been waiting for," Niedermayer had found his moment to shine. It was now or never. Heading into overtime, tied with the USA 2-2. "Someone is going to end this game a hero, someone in this room, because we are going to win. We want this more, we deserve his more, our country is counting on us. There is nothing beyond that to think about."

There were random gruntings of agreement around the room.

"I am sorry, I didn't hear you?" Niedermayer yelled throughout the room.

The room erupted with cheers and everyone stood up and headed out to the ice.

And the rest was history. Sid managed to grab a rebound pass from Iginla and slide the now famous puck between the legs of Ryan Miller. It was a storybook ending to a great tournament. The country erupted and 'Oh Canada' was sung from coast to coast. Sid was a hero. He celebrated on the ice and in the locker room with the guys. His family came in to see him. His father hugged him, his mother cried and his sister punched him and said she was jealous. It was just as he imagined it. Except one thing was missing.

He wanted her.

He looked around the ice and the dressing room but didn't see her. He went through his interviews without seeing her. She was always there for interviews, making sure he didn't say anything stupid or get to emotional. He guessed it wasn't her problem anymore. He left Vancouver tomorrow morning, anything stupid he did now would be the problem of his team PR director. She probably let out a sigh of relief that no one on the team did anything stupid. She was probably back at her hotel packing her bags, and he realized that he know idea where she was going. No idea where she lived, or if he would ever see her again. This wasn't acceptable to him. No, he was going to find her before the night was over.

-.-

She had never screamed so loud in her life! It was the most amazing hockey game she had ever witnessed. It couldn't have ended any better, with Sid leaving his mark. She knew the team would be partying all night, and had it been any other night, she would have been concerned about the possible side effects but tonight she was almost officially off duty. She had one last press conference in the morning and she was done. She had heard rumours that some reporters were going to stake out at the airports, waiting to see the players depart, but she didn't control that. Anything after today, really, became an issue for the player's teams. She was pretty much home free.

Time for a bubble bath and watching the closing ceremonies on TV. Amber peeled off her shoes and threw them into the corner. She removed her necklace and Canada sweatshirt. It reeked of beer, after the guy sitting beside her jumped in the air after the Team Canada's first goal and splashed most of her row.

She sat on her bed and rubbed her feet, then leaned back. It would be so easy to curl up and fall asleep. It had been an exhausting couple of weeks. She headed back to Ottawa tomorrow night, to do some reports, getting back to real life.

_*knock*knock*_

Amber sat up in her bed. Who would be coming now? What had she forgotten to do? She ran threw a quick list in her head. She came up blank, as she moved to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Sid."

_What?_ She thought to herself as she unlocked and opened the door.

"What are you doing here?"

"I looked for you at the rink. You left right away?"

"Well I didn't really have a reason to stay… my job is kind of finished…"

"So I can't get you fired now?" Sid smiled sheepishly.

"Nope, pretty much home free… Good game by the way." Amber added, reaching forward to touch the gold medal still wrapped around Sid's neck. "Shouldn't you be out celebrating with the guys?"

"I kinda wanted to celebrate with you…" Sid admitted quietly, while reaching up to cover her hand on his medal. His hand felt warm on hers, she watched as his other hand reached up to her chin, and tilted it up to face him. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip before leaning in to kiss it. His breath was warm as he touched his lips to hers, her heart raced. She knew he wanted her and she had been trying to convince herself that she could resist him but with him so close to her right now, all her convincing was right out the window. He kissed her softly, like he had done last night but the urgency of his kiss quickly increased. He moved his hand from on top of hers to the small of her back and pulled her close to him. His other hand moved to the back of her head and he increased the intensity again.

"Wait… I don't think this is a good idea," Amber pushed away and tried to catch her breath.

"No, don't do this. Don't think… please just…" Sid pleaded, out of breath, while kissing down her cheek. "I have never wanted anyone more then I want you."

-.-

She was everything he needed and he wasn't going to let her go. He wasn't going to let this night end anyway but perfectly. When he told her that he wanted her more then anything, he wasn't lying and he was going to prove it. He moved back to her lips, this time he wasn't going to take his time. This time he was going to show her how much he wanted her.

He forced her backward against the wall and pushed his lips to hers hard. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her up off her feet, pinning her against the wall with his body, kissing her with all the passion in his body. He then slid his hands down, over her tight ass to her thighs and brought them up around his waist. She locked her ankles behind his back and she squeezed her thighs around him. He moved one hand back to her ass and slid the other hand up her side, and under her t shirt, to cup her breast. She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer to her. He kissed her hard, mashing his tongue against hers, then kissed down her jaw line to her neck. He pushed her up higher on the wall, so he could kiss down her neck before returning to her lips. Her perfect, sweet lips.

He couldn't get enough, like she was his oxygen. His hand massaged her breast over her satin bra. He ran his fingers along the top of the cup of the bra, feeling her smooth skin, still wanting more. He pulled his hand out of her shirt and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her away from the wall and over to the bed, where he laid her down and then moved on top of her. He pulled her shirt up for her head, exposing her black satin bra and then lowered his lips to kiss her neck, moving down over her shoulders and collarbone, taking his time before moving down to the soft skin of her breasts. He pulled her up towards him as he unhooked her bra, releasing her perfect breasts from the soft material. He moved his lips to her newly exposed nipples, running his tongue over the hard nubs before sucking them into his mouth one at a time. His hand slowly caressed one of her breasts while he kissed the other.

She reached down and pulled his shirt over his head. Then she sat up on her elbows and reached up for his lips. He responded to her reach by matching his lips to hers.

"I want to make love to you…" he whispered in her ear.

"Yes…" Amber moaned back pushing her body up to his.

She reached down and undid his belt and he began kissing her down her body to her jeans. He stepped back and undid his pants, slipping them down to the ground along with his boxers. He bent over and undid her pants, and slid them down over her ass and thighs, running his hands over her calves as she kicked her pants off her feet. He smiled down at her as he grabbed her feet and started kissing down the inside of her legs. Amber closed her eyes and rolled her head back on the bed. Sid continued to kiss down her legs towards her underwear. As he moved closer, he slid his fingers underneath the soft material and ran his thumb over her clit. He felt her warm wet pussy with his fingers and she moaned with pleasure and arched her back off the bed. He wanted to make her scream and couldn't wait to be in her any longer. He slid her underwear up over her legs and threw it on the floor in the heap of clothes that had developed. He moved back on top of her and kissed her lips softly at first and then with more intensity. He reached down and pulled her leg up around him. He felt his hard erection push up against her entry and let out a deep sigh as he entered her. She moaned and grabbed at his hair and pulled his lips towards hers. He moved inside her, slowly at first, letting himself feel every moment. She grabbed at his back and ran her nails down his skin. He increased his speed and felt his heart rate climb. He lowered his head to run his tongue over her nipples and suck them into his mouth. He kissed his way back up her neck to her lips and continued to pound himself into her. He felt her tighten around his cock and knew he wasn't going to last forever. He wanted to, he never wanted it to end but she was so sexy and hot and tight and wet. Just thinking of her made him go harder and faster, he wanted her to cum first and hard and around him. He wanted to make her scream and moan and never let him go. Her back was arched and she bit her bottom lip and dug her nails into his back. He went harder and deeper and she was close to the edge, he knew it. He could just sense it.

"Come baby, I want to make you feel amazing…" he barely got the words out before she tightened around his cock and moaned his name.

"Oh god, don't stop, yes, oh god yes. Sid, yes."

Hearing his name did it for him, he tried to last another minute but she got so tight that he couldn't hold on. He shoved himself deep inside her and then pulled out just in time. He felt his balls curl up and he released his load in one last stroke against her thigh.

He kissed her lips and down her neck, the saltiness of her sweat on his lips was addictive. He rolled on to his side and pulled her in tight towards him.

"I never want to let you go," Sid whispered in Amber's ear before falling asleep in a state of pure bliss.

-.-

Sid awoke in the morning with a smile on his face. He had everything. A Stanley cup, a gold medal and a amazing woman beside him, that he could really see himself with. It was the happiest he had ever been.

It was still dark in the hotel room. He rolled onto his side and reached for Amber. _The bed must be bigger then I thought_, Sid thought as he reached and felt nothing. He had been sleeping in a twin bed for the last two weeks, so it must have been messing with his sense of space. He reached further and still didn't come into contact. He sat up in the bed and looked down. She wasn't there. He scanned the room for a light under the bathroom door, nothing. Looking around the room there was no trace that she was there. Had he dreamed it? Or had she actually left him in the middle of the night?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Les boys, meet Amber… and her friend Amy. Amber, Amy, meet les boys," Max made his introductions and the girls smiled at each of them around the circle. When she got to Sid, she put her head down and avoided catching his eyes. Of course she knew that him and Max played on the same team, but she never thought that her and Max would be at home for vacation at the same time. She hadn't been home during the summer in years and when he came home, he was never there for long. Amber certainly never expected this to happen. She could feel his eyes on her and felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

Tanger stepped forward to greet the girls, Amber a peck on each cheek and Amy with a kiss on the hand. They had met several times in Montreal, since him and Max played Juniors close to each other and were both drafted by the Pens. Fleury greated Amber with a hug, as they too had met several times, including during the Olympics, as he was the back up goal tender.

"Vero coming?' Amber asked, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"She will be soon… she's bringing some friends,"

"Yesss… bring on the girls!" Jordan cheered and turned to Sid, who was starring at the ground, red in the face. "Don't worry prude-man, I am sure we will eventually find someone good enough for you."

Sid swore at his friend under his breath but continued his stare at the ground.

Max stepped away from the circle momentarily and returned with drinks for the girls. He handed one to each of them and return to wrapping his arm around Amber. Sid looked up momentarily to see Max drape his arm down across her shoulders.

"Sid here, has ridiculously high standards…" Max offered an explanation to the girls.

"Not everyone needs to bang everything that walks by," Amber stated, surprised to find herself defending him.

"The dude is practically a monk," Jordan retorted. "If anyone is offering to help him get his dick wet, it would be much appreciated and I am guessing a looong time coming."

"Seriously, fuck off." Sid snapped, feeling his blood pressure rise.

"How longs it been man? If I were you, I would never wake up alone!" Max laughed, joined in unison by the rest of the guys, who knew this wasn't far off of the truth for Max anyway.

"Yeah well… it's not so easy being me… waking up alone apparently comes with the territory," Sid growled slowly, the only guy in the group not laughing. He finally looked at Amber. He caught her eyes for a brief second. She could see the anger in them, rolled up with pain and the perceived embarrassment if his friends ever found out. Amber's face turned beat red again and she quickly looked at the ground. Sid grit his teeth, put down his beer and walked away from his friends and into the house.

"Whoa, what's his problem?" Jordan asked the group, watching his buddy stomp away. "He's not usually one for the self pity angle."

"Prima donna moment," Max offered as explanation.

Amber listened while the group joked about the great Sidney Crosby's crazy moments. From what she could gather there were plenty to choose from. She was sure that the rest of the guys had done much worse, but Sid's were always under the microscope because of what he represented.

Max was busy telling a story about a stripper in New Jersey, barely making it through a sentence because he was laughing so hard. Amber un-twisted herself from his arm and excused herself to the washroom.

She should talk to him before he makes a scene and makes the situation worse.

-.-

_*Knock*knock*_

Sid lifted his head out of his hands. He had been sitting on the corner of the guest room bed trying to calm himself, focus his thoughts, figure out what to do. He hated not having a plan, being caught in a situation he didn't know how to handle.

"What?" he snapped at the door, assuming it was Max or Staalze coming to give him advice on mellowing out. The door opened.

"Can we talk?" he heard a much softer voice come from the opening then he expected.

"Talk? Really? You think I want to talk to you?" He replied angrily. He felt his blood pressure rise again and his chest tighten. He didn't know if he should put his fist through the wall or cry or just walk over to her and wrap his arms around her and never let go.

"I know… I _am_ sorry," Amber moved into the room and closed the door behind her.

"You left… again."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

It was going to be nice to see everyone again. After the game, everyone went their separate ways, to see their family, to celebrate and then disappeared back to reality. It had seemed surreal, travelling back to Pittsburgh, sitting beside a team mate that had, for a brief moment in time, been his fiercest competitor. But it was easy to slip back into the groove. Sid hadn't really had time to think about the experience, reminisce with Flower or be proud of himself for even a moment. He was trying to be respectful of the other players on his team, who had also worked so hard to get to where he was, but hadn't quite made it.

Of course he spent every spare minute he had thinking about her. Why had she left? Had he done something? Not done something? Had he been _bad_? Did he hurt her? He had looked for her at the hotel, at the press conference and then at the airport but couldn't find her. Of course he had her number but what was he supposed to say? Would she even answer? She had clearly put some effort into sneaking out while he laid there, dreaming about her.

He ran through every possible scenario about finding her in his mind, about seeing her again. He planned his words carefully. Every time the Pens played in Ottawa, he was going to look her up, but then chickened out. How would he feel if some girl from a one night stand showed up at his door?

When he had received the information from Team Canada about the Edmonton celebration, his pulse quickened. She would be there. He would see her in a non-threatening environment and be able to talk to her. He just wanted to know why she left, just to talk to her. Well, he wanted to do more then talk to her, but it would be a start. She really had been the best sex he had ever had, but it was more then that. He felt something between them, it was more then physical. The guys always made fun of him for being so picky but he couldn't be with just anyone. But she was perfect for him. Smart, funny, understood hockey, understood what hockey meant to him, independent, and not blonde, which was his sisters only requirement. _'Don't bring home some stupid blonde bimbo!"_ Taylor said when he left every summer. Everyone had requirements for his chosen significant other. His mom's requirement was that she was Canadian. His dad's requirement was that she wasn't money hungry. Even Mario had specified that she had to speak French, not that he was serious or cared at all but thought he had to gets his two cents in because everyone else seemed to care.

When he landed in Edmonton he was immediately ushered to his hotel and given his schedule for the day. He wondered if that had still been her job, if she had made this schedule knowing that he was here. He glanced over it to see if she had left in any free time, which of course their wasn't. He shook his head, of course their wasn't, he was being ridiculous. When did he ever get free time? But he would find time, he had too.

There was a meet and greet in the morning, with a ring presentation followed by a public event at the football stadium. This was scheduled to take until 4 o clock. He had from 4 to 5 to get ready for the gala dinner, then a photo shoot and then cocktail hour started at 6:30, followed by a gala dinner. He was slated to stay until 11, but if he found her, he was sure that he would be able to convince her to slip out early with him.

He went through the processes, followed his schedule to a T. He signed jersey after jersey, shook hands with everyone he could, and answered all the questions just the way he had been trained. The whole time he searched the crowds for her. He had asked a couple of the guys if they had seen her. Flower gave him a strange look but made nothing of it, and told him that he would keep his eye open for her. Babcock had said she was around somewhere, that he had talked to her that morning, so at least he knew she was there. Was she avoiding him? '_Maybe this was a bad idea…'_ he thought to himself. But no, he had to see her. Even if she just slapped him in the face, at least it would be something.

After the event at the stadium, he was ushered back to the hotel. The event had run over schedule, so he had less time to get ready. Not that he needed a lot of time but he was hoping to get a short break before starting the handshaking process all over again. He quickly climbed into the shower and washed the sweat of the day off. He climbed out, towelled off and took note of his now almost completely bruise free body. He had sustained a couple of bad hits during the playoffs which had left his body speckled with large plate sized bruises of varying colours. His sister liked to poke them during the short time he had spent at home with his family but now that they were almost completely gone, she would have to find a new way to torture him.

He unzipped his suit bag and pulled out his wardrobe choice for the night. A black suit with a blue shirt and grey tie. Nothing to flashy, nothing to stylish. He suited up and checked for loose strings or lint. He slid his new Olympic ring onto his finger and imagined it being beside another ring, a ring he would never take off, a ring that maybe she would give him…

He shook his head. '_I guess I have to at least talk to her first,_' he chuckled to himself, checking his appearance in the mirror. He grabbed his phone and room key out of his other pants and headed out to the lobby. He wanted to get to the photo shoot on time, in case she was there and he could catch her for a second.

Walking into the room of the photo shoot, he glanced around. A lot of the guys had gotten there early and several already had drinks in their hands. A bar was set up in the corner. There was a lot of laughter in the room, as groups of guys recanted their stories to each other. The younger guys talked about how many girls they had laid after the games, the older guys talked about how much their bodies hurt the next day. A couple of them were talking about how it had been weird going back to their US teams with their Canadian gold medal. Iginla called him over to take part in his conversation and as he walked across the room, he constantly looked for Amber. He couldn't see her anywhere. He had no idea what she would be wearing. He had only ever seen her in suits at work or jeans, after hockey games. This was not exactly the environment for either.

The photos were taken and the cocktail hour was officially declared to be upon them. The guys slowly filtered towards the cocktail area, outside the ballroom of the hotel, where hundreds of people were gathering. They had paid a lot of money to have dinner with the Gold Medal Heroes. He tried to give them his best attention, to answer their questions and seem genuinely interested. A number of the single girls from the women's hockey team were flirting shamelessly with the guys and he did his best to avoid a couple of them, who had been somewhat annoying during the games. A couple of them had even tried sucking up to his sister to get to him, which was despicable to him. He was very protective of his sister, even though she was probably smarter then him and could figure out the posers from the real people all on her own.

Dinner was served and he still hadn't seen her. He questioned Yzerman and Babcock one more time and they both said that she was around. The dinner had been for 600+ people so according to them it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. The both said if they saw her, they would let her know that he was looking for her. Sid was sure that it didn't raise any suspicion because he was always seen as the polite Canadian kid and they thought he probably just wanted to genuinely thank her for all the extra work she had done for his schedule.

Time was running out of his night, as the dessert plates were cleared. His level of desperation was rising, as he found himself staring down at his watch every couple of minutes. He needed to clear his head and come up with a better plan. He stepped out into the hallway of the banquet room and out the side door, to a patio area. He took a deep breath of the non-air conditioned air and ran his hands over his face. It was 9:30. He had an hour and a half to find her, or else his chances of ever seeing her again would be gone… other then of course trying his crazy stalker plan. He paced the patio a couple of times before heading back in. He wasn't going to find her sitting at his table, he was going to have to walk around. '_Mingle with the people_', he thought, which unfortunately meant getting through the group of horny female hockey players. Maybe he could recruit someone to walk with him, as a body guard. He quickly looked around for someone he could feed to the dogs. Flower was to shy, Toews was too serious… this is when Max came in handy, he made a great body guard, he could always be counted on to distract the ladies. Eric was nothing like his brother Jordan. Damn. He was going to have to walk it alone. Maybe if he looked like he was on his phone and stuck to the perimeter he could make it. '_Yeah that's a great plan,_' he congratulated himself on his brilliant idea, while he dug his phone out of his pocket. He put it to his ear and started walking, scanning the crowd the entire time, while faking a dialogue. He made it half way around the room before he gave up on his plan. He had accidentally crashed into two waiters and one guest while starring out into the crowd. He had thought he had seen her twice, and once walked up to a girl who wasn't her but instead a young daughter of a local politician. He either had to continue his walk and pay more attention of come up with a better plan. People were starting to filter onto the dance floor, in front of the twelve piece band that had been set up.

"Hey, kid. Loose something?" Pronger came up behind him with a glass in his hand. Sid debated telling him he had lost a girl, knowing full well that they would be adversaries again soon enough. But he was desperate.

"Amber, have you seen her?"

"The girl who makes the schedules?"

"Yeah."

"For sure, she is standing at the table right there." Pronger pointed with his drink. Sid turned around. Now he felt like an idiot. She was standing at a table not ten feet behind him. Had he really walked right past her? His heart rate increased.

"Thanks man, see you in October," Sid shook the giant defenseman's hand and headed towards her. She was wearing a full length red satin gown which pooled on the floor behind her. The back was open and gathered to the right at the base of her back in an intricate knot. Her skin shone in the dim light of the room. Her dark hair was pulled up into a French twist, with a few curls escaping. He couldn't see her face but this time he knew it was her. He was positive.

Sid walked over to her. She was clearly deep in conversation with one of the team management staff but he didn't care. He reached out and put his hand on her bare shoulder. Amber turned and faced him.

"Dance?" he offered.

-.-

Amber felt a warm hand land on her shoulder and she knew almost immediately who it was. Several people throughout the night had told her that he had been looking for her and she did her best to stay out of sight. She didn't need to complicate things. Nothing should have happened in Vancouver and nothing was going to happen here. She just needed to make it through the night without being alone with him, or preferably landing anywhere near him.

"Dance?" he asked in a way that made it sound more like begging then asking.

When she turned around to face him, she had resolved in her head to say no. '_Just say no and go back to your conversation,_' she told herself firmly. Easier said then done apparently. When she caught his eyes, she forgot to breath, her knees weakened and her thoughts went back to the night in Vancouver. His hand was held out for hers and instead of saying 'no', she put her hand in his and let him guide her to the dance floor.

'_Damn it, damn it, damn it!_' she thought. This was not how it was supposed to happen. But he was so freakin' gorgeous that she had no control over the situation. They arrived on the dance floor and he turned to her, wrapping his one arm around her waist and twining the other hand with hers. He pulled her close and began slowly moving her on the dance floor. She looked up to meet his eyes and every resolute thought about staying far away from this boy had flown out the window. He smiled at her, and she felt herself melt.

"I have been looking for you all night," Sid whispered, the first to break the silence.

"I heard."

"Did you look for me? Or were you avoiding me?"

She looked back at his eyes. She knew what he wanted to hear and the truth was certainly not it. He knew it and moved on.

"Why did you leave?" he asked. She could feel his body tighten as if preparing for being punched.

"This isn't the time or place for this conversation," She offered firmly. She was dreading this. She had a hundred good reasons to leave, her job, her professionalism, her life, _his life_. Nothing between them made sense. It was easier to leave then have an awkward conversation in the morning.

"I just need to know… I'm in room 403. Meet me there in twenty minutes?" He pulled her face up to look at his, his eyes searched hers for the slightest hint of acceptance.

"Twenty minutes," she agreed and then stepped away from him and walked across the dance floor back to the table she had come from.

She debated not going. It would be so much easier to leave now. He didn't know where she was staying and her job here was done. She could go put on her pj's and watch bad hotel tv shows and get up in the morning and resume her life. She was heading home in the morning, to see her family and the last thing she needed was Sidney Crosby tailing her. How would she explain that? But she didn't think he would give up now. He seemed desperate for an answer. People had told her all night that he was searching high and low for her. A couple of her co-workers had made fun of it. "_Well if you are going to have a stalker, that's not a bad one to have!_" Everyone thought it was funny, because nobody knew why he was searching. They might have suspected it but they wouldn't have guessed that it was her that left and not him.

No, she had to go and deal with it now, nip it in the bud. Finish it. '_Just don't look him in the eyes and you will get out of there in tact,_" she reassured herself.

-.-

_*Knock*__knock*_

Sid practically jumped to the door. He had picked up his clothes, straightened the sheets, hung up his jacket and then stood waiting. Starring at the door – waiting. It had been twenty _two_ minutes and he was nervous. _What if she doesn't come? _No, he wouldn't let himself think like that. She had to come – she just had to. He had no other plan, no back up. Other then turning into a crazy stalker… which was still the last case scenario in his mind.

But then the knock on the door came.

He opened it slowly, to see her standing there. The front of her dress was just as sexy as the back. It came down in a cross of material, very simple but accentuating her cleavage. The red satin material then trailed down to the floor, flowing over her curvy body. Classic yet sexy. She wore a simple diamond necklace to fill the exposed flesh of her chest.

He stepped out of the way, as she entered the room. He closed the door behind her and thought for a moment that he wished he could put a bell on the, so if she tried to leave again, he would know. But he shook his head, he was getting ahead of himself. She was just there to talk.

He turned around to face her. '_Damn she was beautiful_', he thought to himself.

"This will never work. You know that, right?" Amber started. She had clearly rehearsed the line on her way up.

"Why? Why can't it work?" Sid argued.

"Because are lives are so different and so far apart… "

"But we could work something out… I can make it work."

"How Sid? Its easier to walk away now… before it gets complicated…"

"Too late…" he said slowly. "I can't stop thinking about you, you are everything I have ever wanted and… and… I think I am in love with you…"

"You can't be… you don't know me. You know nothing about me. It's not love, it was sex. That's it – sex."

"It wasn't just _sex_! And I know more then you think. I know that when you smile my heart stops, that when I look in your eyes, I see things I never thought I would… that, that, fuck it, I know how I feel."

"Damn it…" Amber said under her breath. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Sid walked across the room and put his hands on both of her cheeks, tilting her face up to his. He looked into her eyes for some level of understanding, or agreement, or anything. A tear welled up in her eye and fell down her cheek to his thumb. Sid took this as all the encouragement he needed that she felt the same way and he lowered his lips to meet hers. The first time they kissed it had been new and exciting. The last time was passionate and overwhelming. This time was perfect. It seemed right. Sid couldn't imagine anything feeling better. He moved his lips down over her chin and down her neck. She tilted her head to the side to allow him to continue. He pulled her close to him and she could feel his need against her thigh. One hand slid to the back of her head and twined his fingers in her hair, as he kissed the soft tissue around her neck and over her shoulders. He slid his other hand down the side of her dress, over the curves of her breasts, her smooth flat stomach, then around to the small of her back. He continued to kiss her shoulders but slowly turned her around so she was facing away from him. The hand that was in her hair moved down over her shoulder. The hand that had been on her back, travelled up over her stomach, and cupped her breast. He kissed her neck with slow light kisses as both hands moved up to her shoulders. He grasped the thin straps of her dress and pushed it down over her shoulders, exposing more flesh to be kissed and caressed.

Last time had felt urgent, this time he was going to take his time and learn every curve, every dimple, every freckle of her body. He pulled her arm up around his neck and she leant back into him. He continued to kiss her, while caressing her breasts and running his hands down her body. He spun her back around to face him and kissed down the front of her body. He took her nipples into his mouth, running his tongue over each in turn. He continued to kiss down her body, over her stomach. She played with his hair, running her nails over his scalp in circles. He leaned back to pull the dress down over her hips and sat back in awe.

"The dress doesn't allow for a lot of underwear…" She offered in explanation for her missing garments.

"It's sexy as hell," Sid said reassuringly, looking up at her. He stood up and kissed her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. He took her over to the bed and laid her down, continuously kissing her. She pulled at his tie and loosened it. Then un buttoned his shirt, pushing it down over his broad shoulders. She reached up and kissed his shoulders and across his chest. He smelt so good, and she wanted him bad. She reached down and undid his belt and the zipper on his pants and slid her hand down beneath the material. Sid let out a deep moan and she stoked his throbbing erection. He pulled her hand out and stood up to remove his pants. His resolve to take his time was slowly disappearing. Feeling her hand on him was almost too much for him to handle. He had to take a breath and concentrate on the task at hand. He _never_ wanted this to end.

He leaned back over her and brushed the hair off her face "Tell me what you want…" Sid moaned into her ear.

"I want you… I want you in me now," she replied, out of breath, reaching up to bit his bottom lip.

"That I can do," he whispered back. He pressed himself into her and felt her wetness surround him. She moaned loudly and gripped his back. He moved in and out of her slowly at first and then quickened his rhythm. Her back arched towards him and he felt her tighten around him - she felt so good. He caught her lips and mashed his against them. He quickened his rhythm even more, pounding in and out of her, faster and faster. He pulled her back up towards him, so he could enter her further, submerging the full length of his cock in her tight, wet pussy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to his firm body. She bit down on his shoulder to prevent herself from screaming. She felt like she was about to come, the feelings were more intense then they had ever been. He concentrated on working harder, going deeper and feeling every inch of her on him.

"Oh my God." She moaned, as she slipped over the edge, throwing her head back and arching her back high off the bed. Her hands grabbed at the sheets and wrinkled them around her fingers. He grabbed her breasts, each a perfect handful, and continued to pound into her, feeling her tighten around him and pounding harder and deeper then ever. He felt himself get close, his balls tightened inward and he gave in to the feeling. He erupted inside her with a deep moan and a huge rush of satisfaction.

He looked down at her, as he lowered his head to her chest. She was breathing deeply, as if she had run 5k at full speed. He was exhausted but wanted to stay up and stare at her all night. She was so beautiful and after working hard to find her, he never wanted to let her out of his sight again.

-.-

Amber woke up in the morning and stretched out her arms. She felt Sid curl in closer and nuzzle the back of her neck. It would be easy to wake up beside him every morning, as it had been so easy to fall asleep in his arms. She had listened contently to him make plans for the rest of the summer. How she could come and see him in Nova Scotia. How much his family would love her. How he would come and see her before training camp started. Then he would make it work. She knew he wanted her to quit her job and move to Pittsburgh. He said she could help him with his schedule and help him decorate his new house. He said he was tired of going home to no one and he wanted her there. She let herself listen as he dragged her into his world, listening to who she would get along with and who would hate her. He described events that they would go to, things that he had always wanted to do but had no one to do them with. He had talked for hours.

But the truth was that she loved her job. And she loved living in Ottawa and she didn't want to move to the states. She had been asked to move to Pittsburgh before and declined it then and she was going to do it again.

She rolled onto her back and looked at him. He looked like a child when he slept. So innocent and content. She kinda hoped he drooled or snored or something to make this situation less appealing. She loved letting him play pretend last night, pretend that it was all going to work out. But it wasn't and she knew it.

She rolled out of bed and slipped her dress back on. She grabbed her shoes and headed toward the door. She looked back at him and felt like crap. He was perfect. Just not for her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't want you to say anything… I don't want to even know you," his words were sharp and fierce.

"I am sorry."

"Fuck you."

Amber felt her eyes fill with tears. She knew he would be mad but the anger was more then she could bear.

"What's all that shit about you being Max's girl?"

"I don't know what you mean…"

"He introduced you as his future wife."

"Oh that. Max is deluded."

"You seem to delude a lot of men," Sid snapped.

"Max and I used to date before he got drafted… and a bit after. We grew up living beside each other. He thinks that I am just waiting around for him. It's nothing."

"You knew we were team mates…"

"It's not like I planned this…" There was a long pause. She watched as his shoulders slumped, as if he had given up.

"You just left… again… I don't get it. I told you we could work it out." The anger in his voice, turned to pain.

"No… you told me that I had to move to Pittsburgh. That I had to become a part of _your_ life. You didn't think for a second about _my_ life or what _I_ wanted…"

"I thought you wanted me…"

"It's not that simple."

"I never said it was simple, nothing in my life is simple. Even the simplest things, are so fucked up… I can't even get a girl to care about me."

"I do care about you, that's why I left. I am sorry you can't see that but it was only going to get harder. I didn't want to hurt you…"

Sid stood up and pushed his way past her, towards the door. "Well you did." He opened the door and stormed out.

-.-

Sid headed toward the backyard, which had over the time he was indoors, turned into a fairly busy place. Vero had arrived with friends and some of Max's old school friends had arrived. The music had been turned up and everyone was in a good mood. It was the last place he wanted to be. Quite frankly, he wanted to go and lick his wounds and be alone.

"Hey, mon ami! Where have you been hiding?" Come and meet some people!" Max yelled across the yard. Sid wanted to shake his head and leave but he had no idea where he was and probably would get lost if he tried to leave now. He walked across the yard to where Max was standing and grabbed a beer along the way. Maybe he would just drink away his memory of her.

-.-

Amber was still in shock. She couldn't bring herself to face the crowd, so she left the bedroom and disappeared out the front door. She went back to her house and curled up in a ball on her parents couch. She finally let herself cry, to release the emotion which she had been keeping bottled up. She cried because deep down she did want him, maybe she could be happy in Pittsburgh. Maybe she should have given him a chance to work it all out. She cried over every bad decision that she had made, and there had been a lot of them. One memory seemed to compound on the next until she finally cried herself to sleep.

"Hey you…" Amber awoke to a man standing over her. '_Sid_', she thought as she blinked to focus. But it wasn't him, it was Max.

"What do you want Max?"

"I was just checking to see if you were alright. You went to the bathroom and then never came back out," Max shrugged. "As usual, Amy is the life of the party… she needs you to babysit her!"

"Sorry, I am not really in the partying mood," Amber pushed her hair back out of her face and sat up on the couch. Max sat down and wrapped his arm around her.

"What is up?"

"I can't really talk to you about it…"

"You used to talk to me about everything."

"Before you became a '_superstar'_…" she laughed. She curled up into his side and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Oh man, I miss you. Things were so easy here. I knew what I had to do. I always had you when things weren't going right, you would just make it right."

"And then you messed it all up."

"I screwed up. I get that. You can stop reminding me anytime…"

"You screwed up more then once. With more then one girl," Amber reminded him.

"It was along time ago, things are different now. I have grown up."

"That's not what I hear."

"What? What do you hear?"

"That you are still a player."

"Well I have a certain reputation to protect ya know…"

"Of man whore?"

"Hey now… play nice."

"Playing nice didn't get me where I am…"

"And where is that? Crying yourself to sleep on your parents couch? Doesn't look like you got very far to me…"

"Right, except the last time I was here, I was crying because of _you_. At least I am not doing _that _anymore." Amber felt herself getting defensive, as Max pointed out the plain truth of the situation. She sat up, straightened her shirt and moved away from him.

"Come on Amber," Max said pulling her back towards him. "It's me. You don't need to act tough here. I know you. I know you better then anyone. My sixth sense, remember?"

"No Max, what I remember is being hurt. Hearing about how many girls you were sleeping with from your buddies,"

"You made the decision not to come with me," Max reminded her. "You made the decision to take a break. Did I sleep with a lot of girls? Yeah. I did. Am I sorry you had to hear about it? Yeah, I am. But I would still be with you, we would be married with babies by now… but you made that decision."

Amber closed her eyes and tried to imagine her life with him. It would have been so different. She wouldn't be in this hell she was in now. She would be in a whole different one. Barefoot and pregnant, that is what Max always wanted. A good, little, catholic wife. Their parents would have been so happy.

"It would never have lasted," Amber shook her head.

"I could have made you happy."

Amber turned and looked at Max. They had so many memories together. She smiled and shook her head. He moved in closer to her and ran his hand through her hair.

"Maybe I still can?" he whispered in her ear, as he gently kissed the back of her neck. She let him kiss her for a moment, down the side of her neck to her collarbone. He knew what she liked. He really did have a sixth sense for it. '_It was probably for all girls,_' she told herself before pushing him away.

"Go home Max," Amber stood up and pointed towards the door.

"Tabernack," Max swore to himself and then stood up. He knew not to argue. She was clearly upset and he had a better plan. "I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Right. Oh and Max," She added. "Turn the music down."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Amber awoke in the morning and rolled out of her twin bed. She didn't quite fit the bed anymore but she certainly wasn't going to complain to loudly. Being home was great. She had come up with a new resolve last night while she worked out her demons in her sleep.

She didn't need Sid and she didn't need Max. Sid could have any girl he wanted and Max more then likely already had.

No, she thought to herself. It was time to move on. She was home for a vacation, not to be stressed about _'boys'_. She was heading to the cottage today and her plan was to lie on the dock with a good book and nothing else.

She waddled her way sleepily down the stairs to the kitchen and reached for a bowl from the cupboard, then moved to the next cupboard to grab a box of cereal. She paused and yawned deeply then thought she should start the coffee first. She went back over to the coffee maker and grabbed the empty pot. She stood over the sink to fill the carafe and glanced out the window. Max was standing in his mom's kitchen waving back at her like a buffoon. They used to make faces at each other through the kitchen window when they were kids, but now she felt like sticking her middle finger up at him. She restrained herself and instead gave him a quick wave. He in return put his index finger up to indicate one minute and then disappeared from the window.

_*knock*__knock*_

"Crap," she thought to herself, as she moved to the back door. She un locked it and opened it slowly.

"Morning!" Max declared, way to chipper for eight am.

"What do you want Max?"

"Want? You assume I want something?"

"You always want something…"

"Okay… fine… you know you are sounding more and more jaded everyday?"

"What. Do. You. Want."

"My mom said you were heading to the cottage today… Oui?"

"Oui. Pourquoi?"

"Les poisson?"

"Non! I am going to the cottage ALONE. Do you hear me you hairy little French man? _SEUL_!"

"You would be alone… practically. We just want to go fishing."

"NO! Get out!" Amber shoved him towards the door. "I am serious Max! Don't you dare show up at my cottage!"

"Loud and clear, Princess! See you later!" Max jumped over the side fence that separated their parents yards.

-.-

Amber ate her breakfast, drank her coffee and then had a shower. She packed her bag and a couple of books and magazines she had just bought and threw them in the back of the rental car she was driving.

She backed out of the drive way and saw Max waving at her. She knew he was up to something and had a sinking feeling in the bottom of her stomach that this wouldn't be the last time she saw him today.

The drive to the cottage was relaxing. There were plenty of fruit stands and highway stops along the way which ensured that she never got bored with driving too long before she had to pull over again. She pulled into the small grocery store, ten minutes from the lake and picked up some fresh groceries. Her parents spent almost every weekend there, so it would be stocked with the essentials and more then enough in the freezer to sustain her.

She continued on her drive, and soon enough found herself pulling down the familiar stretch of road to the cottage. She loved the canopy of trees and the fresh smell in the air. She could see the lake straight ahead of her, and the familiar view of the house but felt the blood boiling in the veins as she noticed the truck, all to familiar, parked in the drive way.

"Son of a bitch."

-.-

"Jesus Christ Max! Don't you listen to anything? What part of _alone_ did you not understand?"

"Oh come on! Its just Sid and Jordon… the two best behaved guys on the team, I swear! We just want to go fishing, and your lake is the best!" Max pleaded while ducking from anything and everything Amber was throwing at him. "Besides, Sid is going through some problems, I think it has something to do with a girl, and he needs some cheering up."

She felt a pang of guilt when Max mentioned Sid's name and stopped throwing things at him.

"Crap Max, I just needed a break. Why can't you just listen to me for once in your life?"

"We will be out on the water, all day. You won't even know we are here."

"Because you won't be… go home."

"Oh come on! Don't be such a party pooper. You used to be fun before…"

"Before what Max? Choose you words very carefully here!"

"I take it all back! You won't even know we are here… I'll carry your bags into the house for you… come on," Max quickly grabbed the grocery bags and her duffle bag and began walking towards the house before she could say anything.

"Ahhhh!" Amber screamed after him, and he began to run.

-.-

This was all part of his plan. Max was determined to win her back. He was tired of being alone, and she was the girl for him. They both knew it, she was just being stubborn. They had planned their entire lives together when they were kids, and maybe they weren't ready a few years ago but they were now. He just had to convince her that he was right. And he was going to do that here. They had spent some of their best times together at the cottage, and he was planning on reminding her of them.

As long as he didn't piss her off too much first.

He figured he was safe with Jordan and Sid. Sid was moping, and he wasn't sure why and Jordan was having way to much fun making fun of Sid. They would entertain each other, as long as Jordan didn't go too far and Sid didn't loose his temper… so Max could concentrate on his target.

-.-

Amber walked into the kitchen of the cottage where Max had ditched her bags before running off to put her duffle bag in her room. Sid was standing at the sink looking out the window. That window did have one of the best views in the house. It was her mom's only request when they did the renovations. "If I have to do the dishes, I want something good to look at." Her dad obliged her mom, as he almost always did.

Sid turned around and faced her.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Me? This is my cottage!"

"Max said it was his place."

"Well Max is a liar… this is very much not his."

"Jesus Christ. This can't be happening."

"Don't worry. You'll be out on the lake all day… Max promised. You won't have to be around me at all."

"The sick thing is that there is no place I would rather be then around you… even as much as I hate you right now. What the fuck is wrong with me?"

Amber just shrugged her shoulders and looked at the floor, where her bags of groceries were waiting. She bent over and grabbed them.

"Want a hand with those?" Sid offered, stepping forward to take the bags out of her hands.

"You don't need to be nice to me… I understand."

"Being an ass to you isn't going to help me… its not going to help anyone. Max and Staalze will just start asking more questions, questions I certainly don't have the answers to… so unless you are prepared to deal with that, I would recommend being amicable." Sid turned to open the fridge and started unloading the groceries for her.

She stood behind him, slightly in awe of his logic and maturity. Would she have been so calm in this situation? Certainly not. She wanted to run away and bury her head in her pillows and cry herself to sleep again. But he was right. She didn't want to answer any questions. So she decided to go along with his plan.

When he finished unloading the groceries, he stood up and turned around to face her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped in to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. Neither said anything and yet so much was communicated. It was like a truce. A verbal agreement that nothing more would happen, nothing more would be said.

As they began to separate, Max popped his head around the corner of the kitchen wall. "Who's ready to go fishing?"

Sid nodded, "Lets do this." He followed his friend out of the kitchen and outside towards the dock.

-.-

He had never wanted to punch Sid. But walking in on him with his arms around _his_ girl, brought out the most primal possessive instinct. There was no way in the world that he was going to let Sidney fucking Crosby get his hooks into her. Sid could have any girl he wanted but Amber was _his_.

Once they were outside, Max turned to Sid.

"What was going on in the kitchen there?"

"Nothing man, she was just… helping me feel better."

"Yeah, well stay away from her. She's not for you. She's mine."

"Fine. Seriously, it was nothing… I wasn't aware you were into her. What happened to the Max we know? Not tied down to any woman, no woman tied to him?"

"She is different; she's not like the girls in Pittsburgh. Just stay away from her. I am not fucking around with you on this one. Don't touch her."

-.-

Sid had never seen his friend like this before and he was actually a little concerned. What would Max do if he found out that he had actually already touched her? That he knew just how different she was from the girls in the 'Burgh? He was surprised by Max's reaction. He didn't need the situation to be any more complicated.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

When the boys left, Amber planned on taking advantage of the quiet. She watched them head down to the dock. They had paused for a minute a couple of feet away from the house and she had a feeling something was up but then they all continued on their way. Amber was determined to make the best of the situation and not let the guys ruin her plans. She headed to her room to find her bag with the books she had packed, so she could lounge out on the deck and relax.

She headed up the stairs to where her bedroom had always been at the cottage. Her little sister's room was the third door and hers was the first, with the bathroom between them. Hers was the bigger room of the two and her sister always tried to race to get to that bedroom first but Amber always won. Plus her sister's room had a twin bed when she had a double. She walked into her room to grab her books and noticed to sets of luggage.

"Yeah right Max," she grumbled outloud, grabbing her bag off the bed and leaving his before heading back downstairs. What was he playing at? Was he seriously demented enough to think that she was going to share a bed with him?

The main floor had two bedrooms – her parent's master suite and a guest room. She entered her parent's room and dumped her bag on the bed. '_At least this room has an en suite_,' she thought to herself, trying to get over the weirdness of having to sleep in her parent's bed. She opened her bag and dug out her sun screen and some reading material before heading out to the deck.

-.-

The water had been calm - the fish non existent. The only thing that seemed to be out on the lake was horse flies, the giant hungry-for-blood kind. The boys came in from the lake empty handed and down about a quart each. Max suggested filling themselves back up with beer and Jordan agreed happily. Sid and Max had barely spoken while out on the water, leaving him in the middle to entertain his two buddies.

Max tied the boat up to the dock. Sid offered to help but Max refused and whipped the rope away from him. Jordan wasn't really sure what was going on. Max and Sid got along with everyone. They had never fought each other, even though Max often deserved it and had taken it on more then one occasion from almost every other guy on the team. They had all waited for the day when Sid snapped and went ape on Max but no one would have ever expected it to be the other way around, which it seemed was a likely possibility at any moment.

At least they were on dry land now. Jordan was hungry, which was no real surprise, and he needed a break from the drama. He was sure he had seen some good looking fruit in one of those bags Amber had carried in but he was hoping for something with more sustenance. Like maybe a piece of a cow…

-.-

As they walked up the hill to the main house, it felt like a power struggle for the lead between Max and Sid. Sure Max was a team mate but he was still a competitive person and Max was pissing him off. He was happy that neither one of them caught a fish because if Max had caught one and he hadn't, they would still be out there, until he got his. And if Sid had got one and Max hadn't, he was pretty sure that Max would have left Sid in the middle of the lake – _sans boat_.

They made it up to the top of hill at the same moment and Sid almost felt like they were going to end up racing to the house. It was ridiculous and immature and he hated feeling this way but… but… Max started it.

"Hey Max, any chance that girl of yours would cook us up some meat?" Jordan asked, innocently enough.

Sid cringed at hearing Jordan refer to Amber as Max's. He grit his teeth and took it though. Nobody knew and nobody could know. He faced defeat. Max won. He slowed his pace and let they guys walk ahead of him. Like always, someone else got the girl and he would sleep alone.

Max and Jordan walked around the side of the house and Sid hung behind instead opting for some alone time. He jumped up the couple of steps of the back deck and walked towards a couple of lounge chairs facing the lake. He walked around to the front of the chairs and went to sit down for some peace and quiet.

"You guys back so soon?" Amber asked looking up from her book. "That's too bad…"

Sid hadn't seen her and now he wished he had gone with the boys. She was sprawled out on the lounge chair with her feet on a stool. She was wearing a red bikini top and a short jean skirt and she had never looked sexier.

"Could you do me a favour? Put on some clothes? Max is going to rip off our heads if he so much as sees us blink in your direction."

"What's going on?" Amber asked, sitting up in the chair, closing her book.

"I don't know. Whatever is between you two…"

"There is NOTHING between us."

"Well, Max thinks there is and I don't really want to get my head beat in, so for fucks sake, a shirt would really help!" He sat in the chair next to her and buried his head in his hands. "Preferably big and baggy," he added.

Amber smiled and her cheeks started turning red. She stood up and walked past him, ruffling his hair as she walked past. Her touching him, even in a pesky little sister kind of way, felt good. He had to control himself… he had to shake the thoughts from his mind, as he watched her walk into the house, imagining her long legs wrapping around his waist as he slammed her into the side of the house, pressing his lips to hers and… '_Stop it!_' he screamed in his head. These were not the thoughts he needed in his head! He leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on the stool.

"Hey man, want a beer?" Jordan came out of the sliding door, extending his arm equipped with a cool bottle.

"Yup. So much for my off-season diet," Sid grumbled, thinking about how many miles he would have to run to shake this off.

"Oh, please, if we can learn anything Guerin, I think it's that beer does no harm. And besides, you and Max seriously need to chill. What the fuck is going on between you two?"

"He thinks that I have a thing for Amber…"

"Are you saying you don't?"

Sid thought for a moment. What was the harm in telling one person? Staalze wouldn't tell anyone and he could seriously use some help at the moment. Maybe having someone on his side would help. The alternative, of course, was that he would side with Max and run and tell him… and then Sid would have this beer bottle shoved somewhere very uncomfortable. He decided he couldn't risk it.

"I don't even know her…" Sid lied, immediately feeling like crap.

"What do you need to know? She's hot… too hot for Max, that's for sure!"

Sid laughed in agreement.

"She's alright," Lie number two. "Not really my type." Lie number three. '_I'm really on a roll_,' he thought to himself.

"Not your type? Something is wrong with you…"

Max stepped out onto the deck. "Amber found some steaks in the freezer, so she is going to defrost them and then we can BBQ them, might be a while. Not a lot of other food though. She bought some stuff for a salad on her way up here, so I guess we are limited to steak and salad."

"I guess we were supposed to catch some fish or something…" Jordan laughed. Nobody else joined him. "Oh come on you two! Lighten up. Max, he doesn't have a thing for her… so get over yourself! Sid, I don't know what the fuck you've been mopping about but cut it the fuck out! We are here to relax and fish and hang out… so if you don't shake and make up, I am going to beat the shit out of the both of you!"

Sid and Max just looked at the ground in silence.

"NOW!"

"Okay, fine… tabernack! Simmer down!" Max looked at Sid and extended his arm. "I'm sorry dude, just when it comes to her… I am just protective. She's important to me."

"You guys grew up together, I get that… "

"It's more then that, I screwed up a lot with her when we were younger but I am going to win her back…"

"I don't think she thinks of you like that…"

"How the fuck do you know what she thinks?" Max said defensibly, stepping closer to Sid, fists clenched.

"She said so in the kitchen… earlier. It's just… I mean nothing by it." Sid said standing up, mostly in protection of himself.

"You have no idea how she feels…" Max stepped closer again.

It took everything in Sid not to blurt out the truth… that he did in fact know how she felt – in more then one way. But he grit his teeth and stood his ground.

"I am just saying that it's awfully presumptuous of you to assume that she even wants you back."

Max reached out and grabbed Sid's shirt with one hand and pulled the other hand back to punch him.

As he was about to take his swing, Jordan stepped in to grab his arm. "Quit it out, you two! I don't know what the fuck is going on but I am too damn hungry to deal with it!"

"What's going on out here?" Amber came out on the deck. "Max let him go! I thought I wasn't going to know you were here? Is yelling at each other on the deck your way of blending in?" She stood with her hands on her hips, starring at the three of them. "Max, maybe you should run to the store and get some fresh meat. The steaks are going to take a while to defrost and Jordan is apparently starving. Maybe get some vegetables too."

Max let go of Sid's shirt and stepped back. Sid maintained his posture waiting for Max to come back at him.

"GO! And while you're out, I guess you guys won't want yoghurt for breakfast, so you should get something for that too," Amber demanded.

Max grunted his agreement and stepped towards her. He put one hand on the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss so hard and fast she didn't have time to stop him. She pushed him away with all her strength but he was strong and held on. He finally let go with a push that made her trip backwards and she fell against the wall.

"Mine," Max stated firmly in Sid's direction and then stormed away.

Sid couldn't help but stare at her and she was starring right at him. The shock and hurt was written all over her face. He knew Max had done it just to piss him off and she was caught in the middle. Sid wanted to go and beat the shit out of Max. But Amber looked so upset, so hurt and confused, he mostly wanted to go to her, wrap his arms around her and reassure her that he would never make her feel that way or let anyone else, ever again.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck!" Jordan stood in shock. Max was never really one to be shy, but that was extreme. "I'm gonna… ah, go with him to the store…make sure he doesn't kill someone there… would be bad PR"

"That might be a good plan," Amber stated, still starring at Sid.

"Don't have a thing for her, eh?" Jordan said to Sid under his breath, as he walked past. Had it been that obvious? He never was very good at lying. Sid broke his stare with Amber and looked down at the ground, feeling his cheek burn red.

"It's not like that…" Sid responded quietly back.

"Whatever man, it's not my problem… I'm just here to fish…" Jordan jumped down the stairs and broke into a quick jog to catch up to Max.

Sid caught Amber's eyes one more time. He took a step towards her and she jumped.

"I'm just gonna head inside for a bit… I just…need to…" Amber shook her head and turned towards the door.

"I'm sorry this is happening," Sid offered as he watched her step inside. '_Fuck_!' he swore to himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"Okay, man, you're going to have to slow down a bit!" Jordan stated, as he held on to the dash board. Max was driving like a bit of maniac, talking very animated in his mother tongue – making Jordan half glad he didn't pay too much attention in high school French class. He guessed whatever Max was saying, probably wasn't taught in school anyway.

"He thinks he knows everything! He has no right to tell me about _anything_ about her! He met her for like, what, five seconds?" Max exclaimed swerving around an intersection. He went back to yelling in French and smashing his hand on the steering wheel.

"Wouldn't they have met in Vancouver? I thought you said she worked for Team Canada or something…" Jordan offered in defence. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend Sid but this wasn't his usual behaviour, so there had to be more to it.

"Tabernack! That gives him the right to tell me 'bout her? I have known her my whole life! My whole life!"

"Maybe they were friends there…"

"You sayin' he fucked her?" Max slammed on the breaks and threw the car into park.

"No man… no way… It's Sid, the prude, the monk, the 'I'm-too-busy-for-girls-and-pussy' guy… I am just sayin, maybe she told him something, maybe she's a lesbo and he knows you stand no chance…"

"She's not a fuckin' '_lesbo_'!"

"I'm just sayin' we both know Sid… this isn't like him… there's more to it and I think you may be over reacting a touch. You saw them what? Hugging? And you assume he's sleeping with her… anyone else, maybe, but it's Sid for fuck sake!"

Max sat in silence and starred out the window of the truck. '_At least we aren't careening down the highway out of control anymore_,' Jordan thought to himself, allowing himself to lean back and un-tense his shoulders.

"Okay, maybe you're right… we better go get some food." Max offered calmly, then put the car into drive and started heading in the direction of the town, at a much _slower_ speed.

"I'm starving!" Jordan exclaimed for what seemed like the hundredth time, relieved to be getting on with things.

-.-

He could see her through the window, standing by the sink in the kitchen. She was facing the window and he thought he could see her shoulders shaking, as if she was crying. But Sid stayed out on the deck. Partially because he was in shock at Max's behaviour and partially because he didn't know what to do if he went inside. What he wanted to do and what he probably _should_ do where in direct conflict. He wanted to go in and wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was okay. He wanted to make to stop crying and wanted to see her smile. He wanted to erase everything and start over. Most of all he wanted to take her to bed and make her forget about Max treating her like a used ragdoll, make her scream his name and watch her arch her back as he made her feel good from the inside out. "_She'd probably leave again anyways…_" Sid thought to himself as he shook that idea away. No, he decided, it was better to stay out here.

He continued to watch her through the window. After a couple of minutes, she stood up straight and squared her shoulders. She wiped her face with her hands and went to the fridge and started digging. He watched her emerge with a handful of fruit and place it on the counter. She reached for a cutting board and a knife and quickly busied herself with work. She was methodical while cutting and looked to be zoned out. Calm even. He walked across the deck and opened the door, stepping inside. She didn't even look up from her chopping.

"Anything I can do to help?" He asked.

"Yeah, you can grab that bowl down for me and wash these cherries," She stated simply, pointing to a bowl on top of the cupboards and pushing a large bag of cherries toward him. "Probably, the best of the season…" she grabbed one and popped it in her mouth.

"I can definitely do that," Sid was relieved to have something to do but there was still an air of awkwardness. Helping her in the kitchen, for some reason, seemed to be too intimate of an activity for their current relationship. He pictured his mom and dad working together like this, or Mario and Nathalie. He dreamed about having someone in his life that he could do these things with. He pictured coming home at the end of a day and just being with her in the kitchen, doing regular people activities, what others would call chores and dread, but stuff he hadn't done in years and instead looked forward to. He reached up and grabbed the bowl and put it down on the counter next to her and picked up the bag of cherries.

"Any fruit you don't like?" Amber asked, trying to make small talk to fill the silence.

"Nope… I pretty much eat anything… especially if someone is going to make it for me."

"I guess you'll have to start doing your own cooking…" Amber added, recalling that he had just bought his own house – a house that he had asked her to move into with him a couple weeks earlier.

"Yeah, I guess… one of the guys gave me a number of a food service that drops of meals that you just half to heat up. I don't really have a lot of time to go grocery shopping…"

"I love grocery shopping. I could wander around a grocery store for hours. I always end up buying the most ridiculous things… seriously, you should see my fridge! I have hundreds of condiments for no particular reason! Just to have them!" She laughed at herself. "If I ever feel the urge to wake up in the middle of the night and make thai food, I am fully equipped!"

It felt good to see her smile and laugh. "I have an image of my fridge having absolutely nothing in it… maybe some expired milk…" he also laughed. He looked through the cupboards for a colander to rinse the cherries.

"That door there…" She said pointing with her foot. He opened the door and found what he was looking for and returned to the sink.

"Can I just wash my hands? The peaches are really juicy…" Amber asked, holding her hands up.

"For sure," he said as he reached to turn on the tap for her, checking the temperature of the water before stepping aside. She stepped in and rinsed her hands and grabbed another cherry, popping it into her mouth.

"You should wait until I wash them…" Sid protested.

"Why? They're fine…"

"There might be something on them…"

"Like Ebola? You a germ freak?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, like dirt or germs… and no, I'm not a germ freak… its' just…" he wrinkled his nose, shaking his head.

"Unless it's Ebola, I think I will survive…" Amber added, grabbing the pit of the cherry out of her mouth and throwing it in the garbage. She reached to grab another one and Sid grabbed her hand.

"Just wait, it will take me, like, two seconds to rinse these…"

"It'll be fine…" she insisted, trying to reach past him. He grabbed her other hand and backed her away from the sink, putting himself between her and the cherries.

"And it will be fine to wait…"

She looked up at him and pouted, trying to push past him. Sid made her take another step back and realized that now he had her pinned against the island. He couldn't help but laugh at the face she was making. She squirmed to get free but he just held her tighter. She worked hard at holding the pout on her face but soon cracked and started laughing too. She continued to try to wrestle free and almost got one hand out before he managed to get a grip again. They were both laughing as he wrapped his arms around her waist, with her hands still in his, to stop her squirming. Their faces were now inches from each other, and suddenly Sid found himself not laughing, but instead staring at her full lips. She had stopped laughing as well, all too aware of her proximity to him.

He watched as she licked her lips. He swallowed hard, making a nervous gulping noise. He wanted to kiss her. He could smell her breath, the sweet scent of cherries but he knew he shouldn't, that he was heading down a path that had only led to hurt before. _'But it would be different this time, she wouldn't do that to me again… no girl could be that cruel_,' he thought, as if trying to convince himself. He felt like a junkie, trying to get clean but justifying that one last hit. He looked up from her lips and into her eyes. She starred back at him, surely trying to anticipate his next move but she didn't move, except for her chest, which was moving up and down with her quickened nervous breath. He searched for any indication of what she wanted. He was tired of always making the first move. He needed to know that it wasn't just him feeling this way. "_Show we something, give me a hint,_' he pleaded in his head. He watched as she bit down on the corner of her bottom lip and then felt her wiggle her arms free from behind her. He let them go but held his hands where they were around her waist. He closed his eyes and felt her arms wrap around his neck. She pulled herself closer to him, pressing her body close to his. He opened his eyes again and found himself starring right into hers.

"Kiss me," Amber whispered softly to him. That was what he needed to hear. He bent his head to the side and took her lips with his. He pulled her close and felt her body melt into his. She parted her lips, allowing him to twine his tongue with hers. He lifted her up and put her down on the counter, stepping between her legs which she wrapped around the small of his back and pulled him tighter to her. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him close.

"Honey, we're home!" Jordan bellowed as he walked in the front door.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Honey, we're home!"

It could have been an air raid siren, given the speed to which they moved afterwards. Sid jumped back and walked around to the far side of the kitchen counter and Amber jumped down and resumed cutting, her face flushed, her lips tingling and swollen.

"Oh great," she exclaimed, trying to calm her breath so Jordan and Max wouldn't expect anything.

"And what did you bring me?" she asked, seeing the several bags that the boys dumped on the counter.

"Meat!" Jordan exclaimed, rubbing his stomach.

"Wow, descriptive…" Amber laughed as she dug through the full bag on the counter.

"We bought eggs and bread… I thought maybe you could make your famous French toast in the morning?" Max said, coming around the corner in what seemed like a much happier mood then he left in. '_That was so like him_,' Amber thought to herself. She never knew what Max was going to show up, he had so many personalities, ranging from sweet, romantic Max to angry, crazy Max. He could switch in a matter of moments.

"Ummm… yeah, I could probably manage that…" Amber agreed cautiously. "But I am not doing dishes! You can be sure of that!"

"We'll do the dishes," Sid offered quietly from the side.

"I will do _anything_ if it means getting food right now!" Jordan declared.

"Max, will you go turn on the BBQ? We'll get these steaks on, so Jordan doesn't wilt away!" Amber quickly put each of the boys to work, keeping her distance from Sidney, instead having him set the table. Jordan was in charge of the salad, while she finished making the fruit salad for dessert and prepped some vegetables for grilling. With everyone chipping in, it wasn't long before dinner was ready.

"Meat is done." Max declared and Jordan rejoiced. Jordan and Sid headed out to the deck to sit down and Max headed to the well stocked wine rack and grabbed a bottle of Cabernet and the wine opener.

"Remember when we went with our parents on the wine tour at Niagra? What were we? 17? 18? We weren't legal… Man… that was a lot of wine!" Max asked Amber, as he opened the bottle.

"I can't believe we tried to get away with acting not drunk…" Max continued. "We were so ridiculous! As if our parents didn't know we had snuck that bottle? We thought we were so smart!"

Amber just smiled, remembering exactly the night Max was referring. And she knew that he knew exactly how old they were. It had been a big trip for them, the first time they had really thought they were 'grown ups'. It was the first time that their parents had let them share a room. It was the night they first… '_did it_'. It seemed like an eternity ago. Amber had wanted to _secure_ her place in their relationship before he moved to Pittsburgh and got followed by puck bunnies.

"And how many girls have you poured just a bit too much wine for since then?" Amber turned to Max, cutting him off of his trip down memory lane.

"Why do you always have to go there? I was just remembering a good time…" Max asked.

"No you weren't. I know what you are trying to do… take a walk down memory lane and try to get into my pants. It's the same thing you try and do every time you come home. You can't just turn it on and off like a switch Max. I disconnected the wires. Its over, for the love of God, just leave it alone."

"We have a past… You can't just walk away from that… it means something!"

"Yes it does, it means that we will be good friends and always have those memories but that's it."

"Non."

"Qui! Comprenez-vous?"

"J'ai besoin de toi dans ma vie. J'ai change. Donne moi une chance!" Max pleaded, taking a step closer to Amber.

Jordan popped his head in the sliding door. "Are we eating or what? I'm starving!"

"Yeah, we know! For fuck sakes we are coming!" Amber turned away from Max, grabbed the side dishes and headed out to the deck to join the boys. '_That's the second time Jordan has interrupted me tonight… I hope he sticks near by,'_ Amber thought to herself, as she sat between Sid and Jordan at the table… as far from Max as she could get.

-.-

Dinner went by event free - surprisingly. Max barely talked and the few words he did get out were really more grunts then an actual words. The conversation consisted mostly of Jordan and Sid talking about different games and different plays they wanted to try for next year. Sid was amazed that Amber contributed to the conversation, where most girls would tune them out. She told them flat out when a play wouldn't work, and could point out a flaw to a far-out plan.

"That won't work…" She would say. "I mean maybe if you try it against a crappy third or forth line, but a top line Red Wing or Bruin will laugh at you for even trying it! Oh my God, and don't even try it against Washington! You will never here then end of it!"

After stating her opinion, the boys would be back at making a new plan, using utensils as players. The sun went down and they stayed at it – planning and plotting. Sid could do this all night, it's was one of the parts of hockey he liked most – being able to come up with new plays, especially when they worked.

Eventually Amber stood up to start clearing the dishes and Sid quickly rose to help.

"Sit!" Amber insisted. "You guys need all the strategy ideas you can get!"

"Hey! That's not very nice… we do have some talent!" Jordan argued, still sitting and looking like he had no intention to get up.

"Well most of us… I don't know about you…" Sid joked, looking to Max for backup. "Right Max?" But Max just stared at the floor. Sid looked up to get some help from someone else but Amber just shook her head and Jordan shrugged.

"Whatever… You can get off your ass and help!" Sid snapped, directing his frustration at Jordan.

"Ah man, really? The girl said sit," Jordan whined.

"The girl has a name… and I don't know about you but I was certainly raised better then to let my host do all the work."

"Fine, jerk. Maybe Moppy here needs some time to clear his head… funny, a couple hours ago, you were the miserable one…" Jordan remarked.

"I wasn't miserable…" Sid argued, then grabbed some of the dishes and headed toward the door. He decided he wasn't going to push the issue with Max any further. It would probably end up with another fight and he had narrowly escaped getting his head beat in the last time. Jordan followed close behind as the two of them went inside, leaving Amber on the deck to clean up with Max.

Sid watched from the kitchen. Max just starred out into the trees, as Amber cleaned up around him. It didn't look like he was saying anything. While dinner was cooking, Max had seemed like his regular self, relaxed and jovial, making dirty jokes and talking about farts. Then it was like someone flipped a switch and he was back to his miserable state. Sid wasn't sure what happened but Amber looked pretty upset when she came and sat down for dinner. They must have talked while they were inside, he concluded and from the looks of it, it hadn't ended well.

Sid continued to stare, while Jordan nattered on about something or other. He watched Amber say something to Max, then watched him stand up and push his chair back and storm off the deck. He watched while Max disappeared into the tree line heading down to the dock. He watched Amber sit down and put her face in her hands and start crying. He felt like he was watching a movie on mute. He didn't know how to react, or what to do. For the second time that day…

"Hey man, did you hear a word I just fuckin' said?" Jordan elbowed him.

"Sorry, what?" Sid replied, snapping out of his stare.

"What the hell man? What is it between you two?" Jordan asked, following Sid's sight line to the deck.

"You promise you won't say anything? To anyone?"

"Yeah whatever man… just what the fuck is going on?"

"Remember when I came home from Vancouver, how I was a little… distracted?"

"Yeah, we just figured you were secretly chanting your own name in your head…"

"Fuck off, I wouldn't do that!"

"Sure you wouldn't…" Jordan rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Seriously!"

"Anyways… continue…"

"Right, well, I kinda met someone there… I mean I didn't really meet her there, I knew her before, but I, kinda spent a bit more time with her, and I, well, I maybe slept with her there… after the gold medal game"

"Shut up! You DID fuck Max's girl!"

"Keep you damn voice down!"

"Seriously! No way? He's going to KILL you!"

"Thanks for the reminder…" Sid looked back out the window to where Amber was still sitting. "It's not like I knew they knew each other…"

"Whatever… so what… you did her once? Like seven months ago! I am sure it meant nothing!"

"It didn't mean _nothing_! And it _might_ have been more since then…"

"Shut up? You're seeing her? How did you keep that a secret?"

"I am not _seeing_ her, I just saw her again in Edmonton… and we might have done it there too… but now I don't know… she's so complicated… I don't know what's going on… things didn't exactly end well in Edmonton…"

"Awkward…" Jordan laughed. "No wonder she was less then thrilled seeing you last night. What did you get up and leave right after?"

"Not exactly…"

"Dude… did you at least say you'd call?"

"She left me."

"What?"

"She left me. Both times."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. I woke up and she was gone. Both times."

"Wow."

"Thanks for your support."

"Whatever, you know how many times I wish girls were gone when I woke up?"

"It's not like that with her… I… I… I like her a lot okay…" Sid trailed off, hoping that Jordan caught the drift without him actually having to define it more.

"You're so fucked."

"Again, thanks for your support."

"Okay seriously, you need to tell him. I actually defended you earlier… I said there was no _way_ you were into her! I actually said that! If he finds out, before you tell him, he's going to kill you and then he's going to think I was covering it up and kill me too… normally I can out run that fat French bastard, so I wouldn't care, but in case you haven't noticed, I am not quite up to full speed." Jordan laughed, pointing at his foot which was still wrapped in a cast from the playoffs. "Oh man I wish I was… its going to be one hell of a fight!"

Sid just shook his head and looked back out the window at Amber, who had pulled her knees up to her chest and was just sitting and staring. He couldn't see from where he was if she had stopped crying.

"I don't know if it's worth it… telling Max. She left, twice. I mean, what if I go down there and tell him, get my ass kicked and then I never see her again?"

"Have you even talked to her about a relationship?"

"I did when we were in Edmonton. I thought we figured things out but then…"

"Right, she left, I got that part…" Jordan blurted out. "Were you going to pursue it? I mean, go after her, if you hadn't seen her? Or just leave it?"

"I thought about it… turning into a crazy stalker… but then I thought she must have left for a good reason but as it turns out, she really didn't…"

"So you've talked to her since getting to Montreal?"

"Not really, a bit last night… but I couldn't be in the same room as her, I was mad and pissed and angry as hell…"

"You are aware that mad, pissed and angry are all the same thing?" Jordan laughed.

"This is a joke to you? This fucking mess is a fucking joke to you?"

"No man, just trying to lighten the mood… you're getting a little intense…"

"FUCK! This so messed up!"

"Maybe we should call Oprah…"

"Fuck you…" Sid grabbed a cloth from the counter and hucked it at Jordan's head. He looked up to see Amber walking in the door with a stack of plates, her eyes red from crying but her expression strong, as if she was trying to hid it.

"Hey…" Sid offered softly. "You okay?"

"I thought you guys came in to start the dishes?" Amber asked sharply, entirely ignoring Sid's question.

"Yes ma'am. We will get started straight away!" Jordan saluted her then walked over to the sink and turned on the taps. Amber walked to the counter and placed the dishes on it, then turned to scrape the leftover food into the garbage. As she turned around, Sid walked over to her and grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Are you okay?" He repeated quietly.

"Don't. Just don't," Amber dropped the plate that was in her hand onto the counter and turned and headed down the hall to her bedroom, where she slammed the door shut.

"Hello, Oprah…" Jordan offered from the sink, looking at Sid with a useless shrug.


	13. Chapter 13

_*Please imagine this chapter taking place in French… I could have written it in French, but I thought it would be annoying for those who don't speak it…_

**Chapter Thirteen**

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Max screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping feet first onto the couch in his parents living room. "MARIO FUCKING LEMIEUX!"

"Yeah 234th hot shot! You barely made it!" Frankie laughed, pushing his brother over.

"But I made it bitches!"

His mother and Amber walked in from the kitchen. They had been sitting on the couch beside him for the whole day, as they watched player after player get selected. Every time Montreal was up, Max sat at the edge of his seat waiting with his fingers crossed. When the Habs made their last pick, everyone hugged him as if his grandpa had just died. Everyone knew that Max, like most Quebec hockey players, wanted to be drafted by the Habs or at least to get drafted.

"There's still a chance!" He insisted. He wasn't going to give up. His mom and Amber got up and started clearing the lunch plates.

He knew there wasn't a huge chance of getting drafted. That's why his parents wouldn't let him go to the draft conference, they didn't want to deal with the disappointment, but there was still a chance! And he had clung to that all day. NO! All year!

"What was that screaming?" His mother asked excitedly.

"I was drafted! I am going to Pittsburgh! With Mario Lemieux!"

"AHHHHHH!" Amber screamed and jumped into Max's arms. "YOU REALLY DID IT!"

His mother ran to the phone to start calling everyone she knew. His father congratulated him and his brothers sulked. It was perfect… not number one, but he'll take it!

"You probably won't make the team…" one of his brothers mumbled.

"Fuck you! I am going to be a superstar… you just wait!" Max jumped on his brother and gave him a huge, wet Willy.

-.-

"So, when do you leave for camp again?" Amber asked, plopping herself on the bench of a picnic table.

"They say to report for September 4th. It's going to be great. I am going to blow them away!" Max leaned back against the table and passed Amber the bottle of wine they had snuck out of their parent's car.

"Wow, that seems so soon…" She took a sip and handed it back.

"Two weeks baby."

"Where's their farm team?"

"Scranton but I am going to make the team!"

"Max, you will probably end up playing for the AHL, at least for the first bit…"

"Why do you have to talk like that? Why can't you believe?"

"I am just being realistic… If you go in thinking you are going to make the team and don't, you'll be upset but if you go in thinking about making the farm team, which is more likely, and you get the team then you'll be happy…"

"Whatever, I reject your logic! I am going to make the team…"

"They might even send you back to the Q…"

"Shut up! What's wrong with you?"

"Whatever? Is that so bad? At least I will be in Ottawa… We'll be closer…"

"Sorry babe… I am going to be in Pittsburgh, playing with Mario Lemieux…"

"You were 234th… even first picks seldom make the team…"

"Is this how you want to see me off? Fighting with me? Crushing me?"

"I'm not fighting…"

"Have another drink…" Max insisted, handing her the bottle.

"Trying to get me drunk?" Amber flashed him a half smile.

"If it means you stop fighting with me…" Max laughed back. "Besides, there are _way_ better things that I can think to do right now…" He slid closer to her on the bench and wrapped her arm around her waist, pulling her right to his side. He dipped his head in to kiss along her neck.

"Max stop it! We're in public!" Amber attempted to push him away, but didn't _really_ try. It felt good and the wine was starting to get to her…

"Whatever, we need to teach these snotty Ontarians how to do it…"

"Oh please… there are probably only like four actual Ontarians here… Niagara Falls is like the most tourist-y place on the freakin planet! We're just going to look like drunk, horny teenagers…"

"Well, I don't know about you but I am a drunk, horny teenager…"

"Our parents are trusting us."

"That was their stupid mistake… really they should know better by now!"

"Max…"

"Come on, let's go back to our room… maybe we can sneak another bottle out of the car first…"

Amber hesitated at first but then stood up and put her hand out for Max's. "Okay, fine but no funny business you hairy little Frenchman!"

"Scouts honour!" Max agreed and stood up. _Good thing he had never been a scout,_ he thought to himself, because he had no intention in being on his best behaviour.

-.-

Amber woke up in the morning in a tangle of sheets, the light from the window, creeping across the room and directly into her eyes. She sat up to close the curtains, but quickly laid back down as her head felt like it weighted a tonne. She felt nauseous and dizzy and her head started pounding.

How much wine had she drunk last night?

She rolled onto her other side to get away from the bright light and came face to face with her partner in crime, drooling on the pillow beside her.

"Oh crap," she muttered as she quickly looked down under the blanket. No clothes.

"Max wake up!" She said in a panic, shaking him.

"Ugh… what?" Max yawned and rolled on to his back.

"Did we…you know?"

"You know what?" Max looked at her sheepishly.

"Have sex?" Amber blurted out.

"Damn, you don't remember? What the hell?" Max sat up and looked at her angrily.

Amber glanced around the room and counted the empty wine bottles… _one, two, three… oh my god is that four? _She thought to herself while holding her head up.

"Did we drink all those?" She asked.

"Mostly you, baby…" Max leaned in and kissed her bare shoulder, which sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Amber rolled out of bed, and took the sheet with her. "How are we going to explain this to our parents?"

"What's to explain? I'm 18, you're going to be 18… we're adults; we make our own decisions… We were celebrating!"

"Celebrating? Celebrating what?"

"Pay attention! I am going to be a super star hockey player!"

"Max! Be serious, this is serious! Did you… you know… use a… condom?"

"Yeah baby, don't worry! I'm going to take care of you… trust me!" Max grabbed her by the sheet and pulled her towards him.

"I do trust you…" Amber softened her resolve as she let Max pull her back to the bed.

"Well then relax… maybe you'll remember this time…"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Max realized that coming down to the dock wasn't the best decision… he should have gotten into his car and driven back to the city. Now to get out of here, he would have to walk up past the house and past her. He would just stay down here and cool off and then leave. Fuck it, Amber could drive the guys back. They would understand. She had just ripped out his heart and spit on it, she could deal with the damn side effects.

"_Max, you should know… there's someone else…" _The words kept repeating in his ears – a broken record he couldn't turn off.

He sat down on one of the chairs on the dock and leaned his head against the back of its stiff wooden boards. Had he really been too late? He knew she had dated here and there, hearing reports from his mom every Sunday. But nothing had been serious. And his mom hadn't said anything in a while, so he had just assumed that everything would work out… she was single and he was ready not to be. It was meant to be.

He had a hard time imagining the type of guy who would win her heart. He was probably the opposite of him. Probably didn't even play hockey. _No, _he thought_. He would have to play hockey, and he would probably be good… probably not good enough for the NHL but good. _He would have to play hockey to understand her chosen profession and the crazy dedication she had to it. Max had been so proud of her when she got a contract with Hockey Canada in Ottawa. _Oh God,_ he thought, _what if it's some stuck up politician… or worse, what if he __was__ good enough for the NHL, what if he was a Senator? _The idea of Amber with another hockey player made Max sick to the stomach. He'd have to find out who, just so he could beat the shit out of the guy.

"_Whatever, it won't last,"_ Max closed his eyes and thought to himself. "_I can wait it out. I can prove to her that I am not joking around. We have waited this long… I can wait a bit longer."_

Max smiled to himself and let himself start imagining their life together. They used to sit up and talk about this very same thing when they were younger. He imagined summer holidays at his favourite beach, winning the Stanley cup and bringing it home to her, teaching their kids to play hockey.

"Three boys," Max would say.

"Three?" Amber would always act shocked.

"It might take lots of practice…" Max would offer.

"Well I am a fan of the practice…" Amber would tease him, biting down on her lower lip and looking at him seductively.

Not that she needed to seduce him._ 'Oh man she was good in bed_,' Max thought. Granted back then he didn't have a whole lot to compare to but now, well, now he did and she was still the best. When they had broken up, Max had tried to find someone who could fill that void… someone who had that certain _'skill se_t' but never managed. That's why he knew he had to come back to her - no other woman was ever good enough.

He let his mind wander to the way he used to watch her body move over him. She was graceful and kinky at the same time. She never said no. She would try anything. The things that she could do with her body…

'_Okay, time for plan B_,' Max thought. He decided that leaving was no longer the best plan, what was that going to prove? No, instead he was going to stay. Offer her a truce, ask to meet the guy. If he wasn't a hockey player, that would be easy enough to solve. If he _was_ a hockey player, Max was still better. _'Who else could score two goals in game seven?'_ He could easily make the schmuck feel insecure. And he knew that one thing Amber hated was insecure. Just to top it off, he'd take Sid with him. Sid brought out the insecurity in all hockey players, they all wanted to be better then him and knew they would never be. It was something that Max had made peace with years back. If he hadn't, he would have driven himself insane by now. It's something that everyone on their team had to deal with, especially when they first showed up. Training camp was always amusing, just seeing how hard guys will work to get on the team with Sid. Shero loved it. Guys took huge pay cuts and left their teams for just a chance to play with '_the next one_'. It certainly helped their cap situation.

Of course for his new plan to work, Max realized he would probably have to apologize to Sid - again. He wasn't mad anymore. Maybe Sid knew that Amber was seeing someone and was just trying to warn him. That's the kind of thing Sid did. He was always looking out for his teammates. Sid would totally have his back on this plan. Maybe not the fighting but there were better guys on the team for that anyway. Cookie was always looking to rumble, Geno was looking to redefine himself and Tanger knew Amber well enough that he could probably get volun-told.

-.-

Sid finished drying the last plate and placed it in the cupboard. Jordan had already drained the sink and flopped on the couch, grabbing the TV remote.

"Think we should check on Max?" Jordan asked, while flipping channels.

"No. Just leave him, he'll cool down himself." Sid replied.

"Don't know what crawled in his pants this time…"

"I'm going to go check on Amber."

"Of course you are…" Jordan shook his head and turned his attention back to the TV, where he had landed on sports highlights.

Sid ignored Jordan's remarks and hung up the dish towel. Sid glanced down the hall towards her room. He took a deep breath and exhaled, forcing himself to slow down and plan his next move. He was just going to check on her – see if she was okay. It was the right thing to do.

He starting moving towards the door, when Max bounded in.

"Okay guys, I need your help," Max exclaimed. "Join me outside?"

Jordan and Sid quietly agreed and headed out to the deck. Max explained his plan to them and filled them in on their roles. Jordan kicked Sid under the table while Max explained his logic.

"Listen, I know I haven't been the greatest host since you got here but I need your help. I'm sorry and it's all behind us. Wanna hug it out?" Max did his best Ari Gold impression.

"Max, I just…" Sid started.

"Non, it's behind us. Oubliez ca. C'est dans le passé. I am going to talk to Amber in the morning and then you know, maybe while you two are here we can meet this loser. I know how she thinks. I know what kind of guys she likes. She just has to see that I am better," Max explained

"What if you're not better?" Jordan offered, smiling at his delusional team mate.

"Then one of the Senators? Pullleezzz!" Max laughed.

"How do you know it's a Senator?" Sid asked quietly.

"Because I know her!" Max snapped. "And because she lives in Ottawa… she only knows hockey players and she hates long distance relationships. She refuses to be in one. She is so stubborn, you don't even know!"

Sid exchanged looks with Jordan who was trying to hide his amusement. Listening to Max go on and on about breaking up Amber's relationship_ 'with that asshole'_ was only going to make it harder to tell him the truth.

"I mean, I guess there is a chance that she isn't dating a hockey player, but then I am even less worried. My plan actually works even better if she's not… regular guys are even more intimidated by you! It's perfect! We need to celebrate!" Max sprang up from his chair and headed inside to grab a couple of beers.

As soon as he was safely indoors, Jordan bust out laughing.

"Oh man… this is so hilarious! I am sooooo glad that I am not you right now!" Jordan was laughing so hard, he nearly fell off his chair.

"This is out of control. I don't even know how we got here…" Sid ran his hands over his face.

"You are going to have to tell him or he's going to go around beating up Senators… maybe we could just lie and tell him its Alfie or Fisher or someone… wouldn't that be great? Max going ape shit on Alfie? Oh man, now that would be a highlight reel!"

"That's not funny…"

"Shut up! Of course it is! You just can't see the pure comedy gold because you are going to get your ass kicked! I need to call TK! He will see the fun!" Jordan jumped to his feet and headed towards the door.

"Yeah fucking right! Sit your ass down Staal!" Sidney jumped to his feet and put himself between his teammate and the door. "You CANNOT tell anyone about this! You swore, man!"

"Oh come on! This is a gold mine!"

"No, its hell and until I figure something out, you are going along with Max's plan. We both are!" Sid rubbed his temples. "I just need to get some sleep and clear my head and figure something out."

Max emerged back on the deck with three open beer bottles.

"So? You guys in?" Max asked.

Jordan looked at Sid and smiled deviously. "Of course man, we are here for you."

-.-

_*Please tell me what you think so far! Thanks!_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen **

Amber woke up with her head on a wet pillow. She couldn't decide if it was wet from drool or tears but probably a combination of both. She sat up and wiped her face off with her sleeve. She felt gross. She looked around the room to catch a glimpse of a clock to check the time but there didn't seem to be one anywhere. Her mom hated being constantly aware of how little time she had at the cabin, so it didn't surprise her that she couldn't find something that would remind her. Judging by the darkness outside, it must have been pretty late. She got up out of the bed and walked to the en suite. She bent over the sink and splashed water on her face and reached for a towel to dry off.

"Fuck," she swore under her breath. There was nothing hanging on the towel bar. She looked around with water dripping off her face. "Figures…" she gave up and reached for some toilet paper to blot off the dripping water. The TP was perfectly clean and everything, but somehow it still felt weird.

She headed out to the hall to grab towels form the linen closet. She opened the door and reached for a hand towel and face cloth. She reached up to grab a bath towel for her shower in the morning and the whole pile tumbled down on her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She swore, this time quite a bit louder, before collapsing down in the pile of towels in defeat. She let out a deep breath and rubbed her face.

"Want a hand with those?" Came a voice from behind her. Amber turned around and looked up. Sid stood standing in doorway of the guest room shirtless. The light streaming out of his room made his skin glow and highlighted each muscle in his perfectly defined chest. He looked like a hard marble sculpture.

"I can't stand you being so fucking nice," Amber climbed to her feet, shaking the towels off from her lap.

"Sorry," Sid apologized. "I guess I should work on that. I hear it's my real down fall." He bent down to his knees and started folding the towels.

"You don't need to do that," Amber offered, bending down to the heap herself.

"Well actually I do. You are blocking the path to the bathroom and I kinda gotta go." Sid smiled.

She couldn't help but smile back. He had the cutest crooked smile and his whole face seemed to light up.

"Do you happen to know what time it is?" Amber asked.

"I am not sure, but it's late. I was just reading…"

"Let me guess? Catching up on Hockey News?" Amber interrupted. "Any other guy I would guess Playboy, but not Sidney Crosby…"

Sid laughed and looked down guiltily. "Maybe… I just read it for the articles…" He stood up and put the towels back on the shelf. "Oh I guess you probably wanted one of these." He took one of the top of the pile and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Amber took it from his hands. They stood together silently in the dark hallway. Sid reached up and slowly brushed a hair off her cheek, then dropped his hand to her shoulder, stroking it gently with his thumb. She took a slow step toward him and put her hand on his chest. It was smooth and soft and he flexed when she touched him, making it even tighter then it already was. She looked up to his eyes and felt short of breath. She took another step in, moving her hand down over his abs and around his waist. Now they were so close Amber could feel the heat radiating off his body. She could smell his cologne and a faint whiff of the beer he must have had earlier. He closed the rest of the gap, pulling her to him, pressing her against his body.

"I can't keep doing this…" Sid whispered into her ear. "I like you… a lot… and I want you in my life…"

Amber reached up and wrapped her arms around Sid's neck. "Mmmmm…"

"But… I don't know how it's going to work… and if you're not on the same page as me…"

"Same page as you? And what page is that?" Amber replied softly.

"I'm just saying if you're going to be gone when I wake up again… I can't take it."

"Oh my God… I thought I explained that…"

"You did, you did… but… I just… I am putting myself in a pretty bad situation to be with you… with Max and everything… and I need to know if it's worth it…" Sid tried to explain himself, knowing full well he was doing a terrible job.

"You don't know if I am worth it?" Amber stepped back, acting shocked.

"Oh fuck, that's not what I meant… I mean I know you're _worth_ it… I just don't know if… I don't know what I mean… I'm just going to shut the fuck up…"

"I am just bugging you," Amber laughed quietly, stepping back in towards him, before getting serious again. "I get what you mean. I will be here in the morning but I need you to understand that this isn't going to be easy for me either… but I definitely think it's going to be worth it…"

"Yeah?" Sid bit down on his lip and turned his head to the side.

"Yeah…" Amber responded, moving her face towards his.

"Prove it," Sid whispered his challenge then lowered his mouth to hers. He tangled his tongue with hers and pushed her into the wall. He slid his hands down over her curves as she moaned into his mouth. She pushed him back against the other wall and pushed herself against him. She ran her hand down over his chest and abs and over the growing bulge in his pants. She kissed down the definition of his jaw and down his neck, while stroking his erection over his pants. She pulled back from him and grabbed his hands, leading him into her bedroom, kicking the door closed behind her. She pushed him towards her bed and pulled her shirt up over her head. Sid backed up to the edge of the bed and sat while pulling her towards him. He kissed the newly exposed skin and reached around to unhook her bra, lowering the straps slowly over her shoulders. He let the bra drop to the floor and gently kissed her perfectly shaped breasts, running his tongue over her hardened nipples. Amber dug her nails into Sid's hair and pulled his head closer to her chest, encouraging him to play a little harder. He took the encouragement and gently dug his teeth into the soft tissue. She let out a small whimper followed by a soft giggle. She pushed him back from her chest and pulled his face to hers, passionately tangling her tongue with his. She nipped at his bottom lip and teased him with her tongue. She stepped back from him.

"So you're going to tease me now?" Sid moaned, licking his lips while staring appreciatively at her naked skin.

"Just proving my worth…" she whispered back, reaching for the drawstring on his sweatpants. She pulled and the knot came undone. Sid helped the process along lifting his ass and slipping his pants off, quickly kicking them off his legs. Amber put her hand on his chest and pushed him down towards the bed, then trailed her fingers down his body to his engorged penis. She ran her fingers to the very tip, then stroked down the entire length with her whole hand. Sid let out a moan and rolled his head back. Amber lowered her lips to the tip of his penis and ran her tongue over it, making a small circle around the head before licking down the length of his shaft. She ran her hand over the inside of his thigh and then moved upward to massage his balls. She slowly moved her mouth and tongue along his hard cock, increasing her strokes until she felt his hand tangle in her head and pull her away. She moved her mouth off his shaft and wrapped her hands around it, stroking it quickly as he released his load over fingers.

He tried to get his breathing under control, as he watched Amber slip out of her pants. He sat up and pulled her up on the bed to straddle him. He reached up to meet his lips with hers, taking her into his mouth through raged breathing. She wiggled herself into position and he felt himself slide into her. He drew in a sharp breath, as he remembered how good she felt. He grabbed on to her breasts as she leaned backwards, lifting and lowering herself over him. He watched her smile down at him, biting her lower lip.

"Worth it yet?" She asked, while squeezing her pussy around his cock.

"Oh fuck, yeah…" he moaned. He decided he couldn't take not being in control anymore and grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her back. She laughed as he grabbed the backs of her knees, pulling her close to him and pushing himself into her. He leaned down to her, balancing on one arm, holding her breast with the other and pounded into her hot, tight pussy.

"Oh God, yes…" She screamed, as she slipped over the edge, arching her back off the bed and letting her eyes roll into the back of her head. Sid continued to thrust, controlling his release until he was sure she was finished. She was so tight around him, that he had to use all of his strength and focus to continue. He felt her relax around him and decided it was safe for him to take his turn. He pounded into her as fast and as deep as he could, feeling the powerful urge take over his entire body until finally he gave in, with an animalistic growl and collapsed out of breath on her chest.

-.-

Max laid in bed starring at the ceiling, shivering. He had forgotten how cold it got here at night. He had intended not to be in this bed alone, to have her there to keep warm with. He was surprised when he finally climbed the stairs, after having maybe a few too many with the boys, to find this room empty and her bags missing. Not that he didn't think it would have been a bit of a fight, but they used to share this room when they were kids, so he figured he could play the nostalgia card. To be honest, he didn't think she would put up this much of a fight for their pending reunion. Everyone knew they were meant to be together. You could ask anyone. She was just being stubborn.

"_All in good time_," he thought to himself, smiling. His plan was brilliant and Jordan seemed to be really into it. Sid was hesitant but that was no surprise, he probably just didn't want to use his super powers for evil doing. What he probably couldn't see was that he was actually fighting for the good side.

Max rolled over and pulled the blanket up to his ears. He had already done everything he could think of to warm up. He just needed a warm body beside him and he knew where he could find one. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed touching the cold floor. He would say it was for old time sake…

-.-

Sid had never had to go to the bathroom so bad in his entire life. He laid in bed, with Amber's head resting on his chest, wondering how much longer he could go without his bladder exploding. He had to go pretty bad when he had found Amber sitting in the hall in the heap of towels but another body function kicked in at that point. He was surprised he had managed to make it through the whole process without having a problem. His dick could only handle one thing at a time and Sid was glad that it made the right decision but now - now he really had to go!

He slowly lifted her head with his free hand and placed it on the pillow beside him. He managed to get his arms free and slowly moved himself off of the bed, careful not to make too many movements and wake her up. He practically ran to the bathroom, closing the door behind him before flicking on the light and surrendering to sweet relief.

-.-

Max opened the door to Amber's parent's room. She probably thought it was weird to be sleeping in her parent's bed. He had tried to convince her to do it in here a number of times but she always said it was gross and weird. He tip toed over to the edge of the bed, lifted the blankets and slid beneath them. He felt her warmth and curled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist. She stirred and let out a shocked gasp when he touched his feet to hers.

"Oh my God Sid, your feet are so cold!" She whined, pulling her feet away from him.

Max froze. Had he just heard right? Was it possible?

Max heard himself let out a small grunt. His head was spinning. He could feel the blood pressure rising in his veins and needed to get out before he said, or did, something he would regret. He quickly slipped out of bed and headed back towards the door, looking back at her once more. She seemed to have fallen back to sleep. Maybe she was just dreaming?

Back in the hallway, Max looked down the hall towards the guest room where Sid was supposed to be sleeping. The light was on in his room so Max decided to check in on him. He would probably still be reading… she must have just been dreaming… she wouldn't do that to him… Sid wouldn't do that…

_*knock*__knock*_

Max knocked on Sid's door, which wasn't entirely closed, before pushing it open. The lamp beside the bed was on and magazines were spread across the bed but there was no one there.

Max stepped back out of the room and looked down the hall to the bathroom, hoping that the light would be shining under the door – the last possible explanation. Or at least the last one he wanted to deal with…

No light.

Max found himself stumbling down the hall towards the kitchen, towards the liquor cabinet. He opened it and dug around until he found the bottle of scotch that was seldom opened in this family. With the bottle in hand he stumbled to the table beside the window, sat down and took a swig from the bottle. His breathing was heavy, his temples were pounding from the blood pressure and it was all he could do to not charge back down that hall and start screaming.

He took another swig. Then another and another.

-.-

Sid climbed back into bed, a couple litres lighter. He reached for Amber and pulled her towards him.

"Wow, you warmed up quick…" she muttered, half asleep.

"What?" he asked, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck. Her hair smelt so good.

"Your feet… they were so cold…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I dunno… must have been dreaming…" Amber rolled onto her other side and curled up close to Sid again.

"Dreaming about me having cold feet? Getting a little head of yourself aren't ya?" Sid teased.

Amber giggled. "Is that something I should worry about?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbow.

Sid looked up at her, "I'd happily marry you tomorrow…" He put his hand on her cheek and pulled her face to his.

"Now who's getting a little ahead of themselves…" She smiled down at him, closing the distance between their mouths.

Sid was all too happy to respond, flipping her onto her back and climbing on top of her, wiggling his way between her legs. He kissed down her neck to her chest and across her collarbone. The light from the moon through the window accentuated her breasts, making them glow in the soft light, as he made his way down her body. She arched her back to meet his lips, moaning with pleasure.

He kissed down her stomach and down over her thigh. He looked up to watch her head bend backward on the pillow. He slowly ran the tip of his tongue up the inside of her thigh and felt her shiver with anticipation of his next move. He dipped his tongue in the delicious wet folds of her pussy, as Amber released a whine and grabbed at the sheets around her. He made small circles, feeling for the core that would give him the ultimate response he was looking for. He searched with his tongue and soon came upon his target, flicking the hard nub with his tongue and sucking it into his mouth. He continued with the small circles around the target, mixing in some other motions, to keep it interesting. Amber was breathing rapidly and thrashing around on the bed, while Sid continued on. He could hear a stream of profanities escape her mouth and felt a new rush of hot fluid flow over his chin. He pulled back and wiped his face and then kissed back up her stomach to her neck. He couldn't wait to be in her any longer and slowly twisted himself in. It felt good to be inside her. He slowly pulled back, until he almost fully exited her and then quickly thrust himself inside. Amber let out a yelp and grabbed his ass while he repeated it again, looking down at her. He swivelled his hips and thrust deep inside of her, lowering himself to touch her body, as he dug in with shallow thrusts. She ran her nails up and down his back, pulling him tight to her. He began to quicken his thrusts, using the power of his ass and thighs to drive deep into her. He felt her tighten around his cock and he had to concentrate on not coming inside her so soon, he was determined to get in a couple more thrusts before…

Too late, he felt his testicles pull up and couldn't hold it any longer, as her tight pussy pulled him inside of her and he let out a deep growl. His heart was pounding and his breath was jagged as he rolled onto the bed. Amber rolled onto her side and tucked her head into his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and reached out for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

"I love you." He whispered into her hair.

"I love you too…" she whispered back, nuzzling into her new found nook.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Sid woke up in the morning slowly opened his eyes. The early morning sunlight was filtering through the room through the thin drapes that hung on the window behind the bed. He moved his head to the side and kissed the top of the head, still curled up on his shoulder.

"Mmmm…" Amber stirred, stretching out like a cat.

"So this is what waking up with you feels like…" Sid whispered into her hair. "I could get used to this."

Amber looked up to Sid's face and smiled. "How long are you going to bring that up?"

"It's my right."

Amber rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the ribs. He laughed and then a devilish smile came onto his face. "I'll stop but I would be lying if the thought of tying you to the bed didn't occur to me more then once last night."

"I doubt you have a kinky bone in your body!" She teased him.

"Oh? You don't think so…" He bit down on the side of her neck.

"I wanna find out…" she whispered into his ear.

"We shouldn't… the guys might be waking up… I should go back to my room… but I definitely want a rain cheque on this one!" Sid used all his will power to push away from her.

"I hate your logic…" She moaned.

Sid flopped onto his back. "I should head out for a jog."

"I didn't give you enough of a workout?" Amber asked, acting hurt and a little surprised.

Sid laughed and decided he wouldn't let her know how exhausted he really was. The jog was really just to clear his head and hopefully shake out the dirty thoughts, so he didn't walk around with a crazy hard-on all day. The guys were bound to notice that one.

Sid reached down and grabbed his boxers off the floor. He pulled them up over his morning wood, tucking it in, so it wouldn't be too obvious.

"Maybe I could help you with that…" Amber looked up with a sultry look, noticing the awkward tent in his pants.

"You're killing me right now, you know that?"

"Maybe," Amber giggled and curled up into the blankets, pulling a pillow in close to her body.

Sid lowered himself down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you at breakfast. French toast right?"

"Mmmmhmmmm…"

-.-

Max held up the bottle in his hands to see if he could drain another drop out of it. That one was empty too. After finishing off the scotch, he went looking for something more. He found a half bottle of vodka and a bottle of peach schnapps. He debated going for the bottle of baileys but wasn't sure how that would help the mix in his stomach. The sun was coming up and he would be able to get Jordan to drive him back to the city soon enough.

He didn't want to have to explain why they were leaving without Sid but he knew Jordan would probably ask questions. He didn't have any answers. The only reason he was waiting for Jordan to wake up to leave was the three empty bottles on the table in front of him. Max put his head down on the table and wrapped his arms around his head to block out the light. He forced himself to take deep breaths and concentrate on not throwing up.

He wasn't sure how long he had his head down but the only reason he raised it was in hopes of finding Jordan standing behind him, digging through the fridge.

"Oh, it's you…"

-.-

"Morning man! Just going for a run, wanna come?" Sid offered, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. He turned around to see Max, slumped in a chair at the table, surrounded by empty booze bottles. "Whoa buddy, what's goin' on?"

"What's going on? Why don't you fucking tell me what's going on!"

Sid took a deep breath and felt his cheeks get red. "I don't know what you mean…" he offered, not wanting to incriminate himself, in case there some other reason Max was mad and not the one he figured it probably was.

"Cut the shit! Why don't you tell me the fucking TRUTH!" Max yelled across the kitchen.

"Max listen, it's not what you think…" Sid offered calmly.

"So you're _not_ fucking her?" Max hissed.

Sid was quiet. Max was clearly drunk. He had to plan his words carefully and not make any sudden movements.

"It's not like that… it's more then that…" Sid said quietly.

"More then that? More then just fucking?" Max repeated.

"I met her last year and then at the Olympics and… and … we've kinda developed something…" Sid tried to explain.

"Last year? Developed something? What the fuck?" Max shook his head in disbelief. "Why didn't you fucking tell me? You let me go on about her… you let me think it was someone else… you fucking_ lied_ to my face…"

"I didn't know how to tell you or what to tell you… our relationship has been kind of… messy, complicated and, and I'm sorry man, you have no idea…"

"You went behind my back…"

"I swear that was not my intention. I wanted to tell you. I really did but you've been so weird… with your plots and schemes and you've been so crazy…"

Max sat back in his chair. He ran through his behaviour the last couple of days. Crazy was being polite. He felt like he had damn near lost his mind. If he had been thinking clearly, he would have seen this coming, _should_ have seen it. Now he was mad at himself.

Jordan emerged from upstairs and came into the kitchen. "What's going on in here?"

Sid shot Jordan a look that said both _'shut the fuck up'_ and '_run and save yourself_'. Jordan looked around the room, and saw Max sitting at a table surrounded by empties and decided he was better backing up out of the room slowly.

"I assume you knew about this, you slimy piece of shit?" Max hissed across the room.

"Ummm… I had a slight indication…"

"And you fucking defended him to me? You told me FLAT OUT he wasn't fucking her!" Max stood up and turned around to face them.

"I didn't know then, I only found out last night, after dinner…" Jordan offered in his best defence, shooting Sid an 'I told you so'.

"Leave him out of this…"

"NO! He might as well have been fucking her too!"

"I wouldn't say _no_… I mean come on, she's hot…" Jordan tried to lighten the mood, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished he had bit his tongue. Max lunged across the counter at him and connected his fist with Jordan's face, knocking him back. Sid grabbed Max from behind and pinned his arms behind him, which wasn't too hard because of the lack of blood in his alcohol system. Max struggled free and went to take a swing at Sid but lost his balance and went crashing against a wall. He let out a long string of curses then regained his composure and turned to back to them.

"You're both fucking dead to me!" He yelled, waving his arm at them.

"That's enough Max," Amber said quietly, coming down the hall towards him. Her voice was like a whistle from a ref, stopping the play dead. She walked past him and Sid felt his pulse quicken again. If Max so much as touched her, he would kill him. But he didn't. He didn't even look up at her. Instead he let her walk straight past him to the sink, where she reached for the dish cloth and walked over to where Jordan was holding his nose, blood creeping through his fingers. She grabbed his hand and moved away, quickly replacing his hand with the cloth and instructing him to bend his head forward.

"Max, go outside." She didn't look at him, she didn't have to. To Sid's surprise, Max listened and went to the back door to head to the deck. He stumbled a few times, trying to gain his balance but he made it outside and slammed the door behind him.

"Sid… go for your jog," Amber shot Sid a look that meant she wasn't kidding but his protective instincts were up and he didn't want to leave her with Max drunk like this.

"I don't want to leave you alone…"

"Jordan will be here. Go." She stated calmly, checking on her patient.

Sid hesitated. By the look in her eyes and the calmness of her voice, he knew that she was in charge of the situation. She probably had more experience handling locker room fights then anyone here and could probably hold her own. She was also probably more familiar with Max and his temper then she wanted to be, having grown up next to him and his brothers. Sid grabbed his water bottle and headed for the front door.

-.-

"You must be really good in bed, hey?" Jordan laughed. Only a hockey player could laugh with a potentially broken nose.

Amber poked him in the ribs, which made him squirm.

"They have never fought," Jordan explained. "I mean don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of times when we thought they would, or probably should have… Max can be hard to take sometimes. Not that Sid is always a saint but Max is usually the trouble maker..."

Amber just nodded. She was familiar with _that_ aspect of Max.

"… you know, one thing I don't understand about this whole thing is that you knew Sid and Max were team mates, Sid didn't know you knew Max, we can't really blame him… but you knew…"

"You think I wanted this?" Amber asked. "You think I planned this?"

"No, that's not what I am saying…" Jordan defended himself.

"I tried to get away from this hell. I never pursued him. Ever! He's just so _stubborn_…"

"Oh, we all know he's stubborn! I get that! Sid gets something in his head and won't give up until he gets it," Jordan admitted, thinking of how many times they had to drag Sid of the ice after he didn't make a play or get an easy goal.

"Max is the same way. I thought Max understood that we were over, but he's caught up on this idea that we were meant to be together and it's like he forgot all the reasons why we're not."

"Maybe it's a good thing they never fought… one would have to end up dead for it to end."

"You need to understand that this was the last thing I wanted…"

"I never thought you wanted it, but I think you probably could have prevented it…" Jordan was shocking himself, he was never the voice of reason in the room. His mom would be proud.

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda…" Amber shrugged and turned to the freezer to get some ice for Jordan's face.

"I get that, but what are you going to do now?"

"There's a bridge not to far from here, I contemplated throwing myself off of…"

"Please don't do that… from the looks of things, they would probably follow you… and I really want to win another Stanley Cup!"

"Wow… thanks…remind me why I haven't poked you in the nose?" Amber threatened, handing Jordan a package of frozen peas.

"You better not! Oh Shit! I have a photo shoot next week, there better be no bruising!" Jordan got up and ran towards the bathroom to check his face.

Amber looked outside to where Max was slumped in a deck chair. She decided to let him sober up a bit before talking to him and instead went to work making some coffee. She went about preparing the grounds and heard Jordan swearing from the bathroom, which made her laugh. He emerged from the bathroom with toilet paper stuffed up his nostrils. The sight of him was absolutely ridiculous and Amber couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm going to go have a shower… will you be alright with him?" Jordan asked, after Amber calmed down.

"Yeah, I can handle _Max Talbot_. If he did anything, his brothers would murder him…"

"If Sid let him live…"

"Yeah, I guess so hey? I'm just going to make him some coffee and maybe give him some time to calm down before talking to him."

"Well, I won't be too long and Sid will be back… he tends to run forever though… the guy's ridiculous! Like dude, settle down! We get it, your awesome… take a break…" Jordan headed upstairs for his shower and the smell of brewing coffee began to fill the air. When the machine was done, she poured two cups and headed out to the deck.

"Here," she stated simply, forcing a cup into his hands. Max took it and grunted something that sounded like a thank you. He closed his eyes and took a sip of the hot beverage. It felt good though not much of him did.

"You shouldn't have drank so much," Amber stated.

"You shouldn't have fucked my best friend," Max retorted sharply.

"You're probably right," Amber agreed after a short pause. She had nothing. She had no argument for that. She knew what she had done was wrong and now all that she could do was let him be mad at her. "So let me have it… What do you want to say?"

"I don't know. What can I say? If I say I don't want you to see him will you listen?" Max asked calmly but the anger in his voice evident.

"No."

"Well then, fuck, that doesn't leave me a lot of options, does it?"

"I guess not."

"If I tell him that I don't want him to see you, he will listen. That's who he is. He'll never put you above hockey."

"I know… I seem to go for that in a guy," Amber shrugged. "If that's what you want to do, then I can't stop you. But what will that accomplish? You think that will make you feel better? You think hurting him – and me – will make you feel better? We didn't mean to hurt you… I didn't think I would see him again, until I came to your party and he was there… and then you wouldn't listen and you showed up here and, fuck, you just don't listen!" Amber was losing her calm.

"Oh, it's my fault now? The woman I love sleeps with my best friend and it's my fault?" Max snapped.

"You don't love me Max! Quit it with that shit! You are hung up on an idea that is dead. Move on. Find someone else!"

"Like you have?" Max asked quietly.

"Yes." Amber offered, lowering her voice.

"Do you love him?"

Amber paused, then nodded.

Max felt a tear slip out of his eye. She was all he had really ever known. He had _known_ a lot of women but not like her. He had only ever planned a life with her. He thought they would be together forever. Letting go of her was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done, especially if he had to do it watching her with _Sidney fucking Crosby_.

"What if I can't… you know… find another woman?"

"You haven't tried."

"I didn't think I had too."

Amber reached out and put her hand on his, which he quickly laced his fingers into.

"Can you do me a favour?" He asked.

"I can try…" she responded.

"Can you not, you know, be too lovey dovey around me? You know, no PDA's or '_how are you smoochy_?' bullshit. I don't want to accidentally rip off his face… "

Amber laughed softly, "I can probably manage that…"

"I haven't forgiven him…" Max snapped.

"Okay. I get that…" Amber shrugged, then softened her voice and added "Have you forgiven me?"

Max took a deep breath and looked at her. She always had the power to calm him down, even when he was madder then hell, one look from her melted his heart. If was unfair really, cause he really wanted to be mad.

"Sorta…" he offered. "I mean, for all the shit I put you through, I am the last person that should get to hold a grudge."

"That's the most logical thing you've said in a while…" Amber smiled.

"So you love him… what now? Are you going to move to Pittsburgh?" Max asked, taking another big sip of coffee.

"I dunno… I mean, ugh, Pittsburgh…"

"It's not so bad… it would be nice to have my best friend nearby again…"

Amber smiled, "I agree… we've always been better friends then anything…"

"We weren't exactly bad at the other stuff, especially not the _fun_ stuff," Max argued. Amber just rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"You understand that if he hurts you, or does anything, I will kill him… and I don't mean that as a euphemism. I will literally kill him." Max stated in his most serious voice.

"Oh, I am counting on it! How else am I supposed to keep him in line? A little fear will be good for the relationship!" Amber laughed. "I am going to head inside and start breakfast. French toast, just for you!"

"If you're living in Pittsburgh, I will be by every Sunday morning with an empty plate," Max called after her, as she walked into the house. He watched her go. He would let her think this was the end but it was far from over.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Sid normally hated running but today it felt good, even though he was freakin' exhausted. It mainly felt good to get out of the house and away from Max. He knew he could trust Jordan to take care of Amber. For all his flaws, Jordan was still a pretty old fashioned about how to treat the ladies. Normally it wouldn't even be a concern, but sometimes when Max drank too much, he tended to forget his better judgment and far too many fights have been started in his current state of mind.

Sid debated how long to run as his feet connected with the gravel roads. On one hand he was afraid of getting lost and was eager to get back to check on the situation, on the other hand he really didn't want to go back because he knew that meant a fight. Sid wasn't looking forward to that but he was willing to fight for her. Max would just have to get it through his thick head.

Sid started running faster, as he thought of all the nasty shit he imagined Max would say. His concern for his friend's feelings was quickly being replaced by anger at the fact that Max thought he somehow owned her._ 'He doesn't fucking own her,'_ Sid thought to himself. '_He has no right to make her feel bad for falling for me_._ Who the fuck does he think he is? Ewwww… Max Talbot scored two goals in game seven… So fucking what? He was Sidney fucking Crosby! He skated past guys better then Max when he was five…'_

The anger was pushing him and soon Sid found himself at full speed, approaching a busy intersection of highway. Sid forced himself to stop before reaching the road and, short of breath, turned and started slowly jogging back down the road he had just come.

'_No,'_ he thought. _'I'm not going to let anyone ruin this for me."_ So much of Sid's life was decided by other people, that he felt good making this decision for himself. He didn't care what Max thought, or what anyone thought. '_I deserve to be happy, to have someone to share this all with… everyone else does…'_ Sid thought, thinking of all his team mates who after big games always had someone special waiting in the players lounge for them. He wanted that. He wanted that more then anything._ 'And I want it with her… and Max will just have to deal with it.' _He added as he approached the driveway to the house, forming his resolve and preparing himself for the impending battle.

-.-

Sid walked around to the back of the house, towards the deck that Amber had kicked Max out to before he left. He didn't want to go through the house, because he had something to say and wanted to get it out without Jordan or Amber talking him out of it.

He climbed the few stairs up to the deck and walked towards Max, who was leaning back in one of the large wooden chairs. He had a coffee cup in his and looked half dead.

Sid didn't care. He had to say what he had to say.

"Listen man," Sid started, with his voice firm and his shoulders squared. "I know you have a past with her but its over. You _have_ to let her go and let her be happy. I can make her happy. I can give her everything she has ever wanted. No one will ever love her more then I can, and will, and do, love her. I am sorry this is how it happened. But it happened, so its time for you to deal with it. If you want to punch me, punch me. If you want to hate me, hate me but I love her and I am going to be with her."

Sid heard his voice break a little at the end. He was breathing heavily, half from the run and half from the effect of the speech. He had never made a speech like that before and he was willing to stand behind it but he was nervous… like, game seven nervous.

Max turned his head and looked at his team mate, standing a few feet away, squared off and noticed that he looked like he was really to fight.

Max just shrugged, "Okay."

"What?" Sid was shocked and assumed he misheard.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay… What do you want me to say? No? You want me to fight you to the death? Beat your head in with a hockey stick? Smash every bone in your body, so you can never skate again? Break this cup into the side of your head?" Max held the cup up to his mouth and took a long sip. "Don't think I haven't thought of all those things… and lots more… but… the coffees really good…" He added, taking another sip.

"What?" Sid asked again breathlessly.

Max got up and walked toward his team mate. "Amber is making breakfast… She's a really good cook. You're a lucky guy," Max patted him on the shoulder, giving him a smirk, before heading towards the door to head inside.

"Oh and Sid… don't fuck it up, because I will be there waiting."

Sid watched Max step into the house and close the door behind him. "What the fuck?" Sid swore out loud, not able to move out of pure shock.

-.-

Sid starred at the door for what seemed like forever. He couldn't entirely believe what just happened. The only reason he moved was Amber came out to the deck.

"Hey! Want a coffee?"

Sid just starred at the door.

"Heeeellllloo?"

"He just said 'okay'…"

"Who? Max? That's good. Leave it alone."

"No but I thought… he would kill me…"

"Um, yeah, I talked to him… he's fine. He's upset but he'll get over it. He has the attention span of a toddler." Amber joked, walked up to Sid and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Mmm… you're all sweaty… maybe after breakfast, I could help you in the shower…" She moaned into his ear, running her tongue down the side of it.

"But I don't get it… What did you say to him?"

"Seriously? I just offered to do nasty things to you in the shower and you're thinking about Max?" Amber leaned back.

Sid shook his head and focused on Amber, putting his hands around her waist. "I'm sorry, I'm just in shock is all. There is nothing I would rather do right now then have you naked in the shower…"

"Mmm… that's better," Amber teased him. Sid leaned in to push his lips to hers but she pulled back. "After breakfast."

She turned and headed back inside and Sid followed.

"Good jog?" Jordan asked sarcastically, as Sid stepped inside.

"Yeah it was good. It's nice out, a little chilly, but nice," Sid offered. The disappointed look on Jordan's face suggested that was not the answer Jordan was looking for. Sid wouldn't give him any more ammunition or story lines to go back and share with the rest of the guys.

"How's the nose?" Sid laughed.

"Fuck you! My mom is going to kill me! She has been trying to get us all together for a family picture for a really long time, without bruises or stitches or pussing, gaping wounds. How am I supposed to explain this?"

Sid laughed.

"You know I don't get it… how did I get the beating? I didn't even get laid! I think we need to make it fair… make it worth my while, if you know what I'm sayin…" Jordan winked at Amber. "How you doin'?" making his best attempt to be suave.

Without hesitation, Amber picked up and threw a wet dish cloth at him, hitting him square in the side of the head.

'What?" Jordan exclaimed. Sid just shook his head and laughed.

"Where did Max go?" Sid asked, looking around. He couldn't imagine Max thinking this conversation was very funny.

"For a shower," Amber explained, turning back to the frying pan she had been heating up.

"So what happened?" Jordan asked.

"I have no idea…" Sid shrugged and looked dumbfounded.

"Leave it alone guys… Just leave it alone," Amber turned and waved a spatula at them.

"You're not going to tell us anything?" Jordan asked.

Amber just shook her head.

"Did you hypnotize him? Use voodoo? Jedi mind powers?"

"Don't be ridiculous Staalze…" Sid said while rolling his eyes.

"What? If she has those powers, they could come in _really_ handy… you know, she could get a certain Staal brother of mine to forget that he won the cup first… and the Olympic medal thing is really starting to piss me off… I'm just saying it could be handy…" Jordan added. "You can't tell me there isn't stuff you'd like guys to forget!"

"I only use my powers for good…" Amber assured him. Sid just laughed and poured himself a coffee, filling up Amber's cup which was sitting on the counter beside him. Before turning back to the machine to put the pot away, Sid kissed her forehead.

"Ahhh… you two are going to be sooooo annoying! We're all going to have to keep Pepto nearby to keep our lunches down!" Jordan stuck a finger in his mouth and pretended to gag.

"Actually, we are going to be keeping the PDA's on the low down Mr. Crosby. Those are the terms of the agreement with Max… unless you really do want your ass kicked…"

"I think I can handle that," Sid offered. "Only when he's not around though, right? I mean, we can still gross out Staalze?" Sid stepped in behind her and kissed the back of her neck, making her wiggle away.

"Sid… stop it…" Amber whined, swatting him with the spatula.

"Yeah Sid, mmm, stop it, mmm…" Jordan imitated Amber, making fake kissing sounds, wrapping his arms around his upper chest to imitate making out. He turned around to offer the best demonstration and came face to face with a not-so-very-happy-looking Max. "Hey, man… feeling, uh, better?"

"I was…" Max said dryly. "Now I just feel bad for you… I didn't realize it had come to the point that you had to make out with your own arms… you should really just bite the bullet and get a hooker… this is really sad man…"

"And he's back, ladies and gentleman!" Jordan threw his arms up in triumph. "Can we eat now? I'm starving!"

Everyone in the room laughed at him, as Amber pulled out a huge pan of French toast from where she had been keeping it warm in the oven. "We can eat," Amber stated taking the pan to the table.


	18. Chapter 18

_**This is a short chapter but i think its fun! tell me what you think!**_

**Chapter Eighteen**

"You're sure I can't convince you to come? There's nothing I can do?" Sid asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I have to get back to work. I told you. And besides, you're going to be busy, you only have a short period of time with your family, you should make the most of it…"

"I know… I just want them to meet you. They really will love you, my sister especially… maybe less with my dad, but he'll come around… he just worries about me."

"I will meet them eventually, just not right now. Soon… maybe, when we have answers to the questions…"

"You mean, when you stop being stubborn and give up and move in with me?" Sid asked, only half teasing. She knew he couldn't move to Ottawa. If they wanted this to work, the onus would be on her to relocate. He knew it wasn't fair but he planned on making it worth her while.

"Sid, come on, I don't want to do this again, especially not here…" She looked out the car window, around at all the people, climbing in and out of cabs and cars, heading towards the airport doors with their luggage in tow. "You need to get going…"

"You'll meet me in Toronto though right? And then you'll come to the home opener for sure?" Sid asked.

"I have to check my schedule but I don't think it will be a problem…" Amber reassured him.

"Okay…" Sid mumbled. "So I guess this is good bye then?"

"Hey! Don't be like that! Call me when you land?" Amber tried to lighten the mood.

"For sure," Sid leaned in to kiss her but paused, looking back out the window for one last sweep of the crowds. It was the first time he had ever kissed a girl in public and he didn't want it getting back to anyone or showing up in the papers in the morning. Convinced that there was no one around, he softly touched his lips to hers. This was going to have to sustain him for quite a while, so he didn't want to rush.

"You need to go…" Amber mumbled into his mouth.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Sid climbed out of the passenger seat and grabbed his bags out of the back seat, before returning to the passenger door.

"I love you," he offered, looking at her through the open door.

"I love you too and I'll see you soon."

With that reassurance, Sid closed the door to the car and walking into the Montreal airport.

-.-

"I hate coming back to work…" Amber mumbled to her co-worker Mark, as she plopped down in her desk chair. Her and Mark had shared an office since she started with Hockey Canada and they had become fairly close.

"Wow… good to see you too…" Mark joked.

"Sorry, I just know I am going to have a million emails to sort through…"

"Most of them are from me!" He laughed. "What? I had to keep you abreast of the gossip!"

"For a supposedly straight man, you are a gossip whore!" Amber laughed, turning to face her monitor.

"So_ do_ anyone good while you were on vacation?" Mark asked, sliding his chair over towards Amber's desk.

"Actually yes, but I am sure to hell not going to tell you!"

"WHAT? Seriously! You have to tell me!" Mark demanded.

"Um, not unless I want the whole world knowing, and I am not quite ready for that!"

"Oh, come on! I can keep a secret!"

"Yeah right!"

"I'll put it in the vault! It's made of steel!"

"You're vault is missing a door… I remember when Stan drunk confessed to you on a road trip that he was cheating on his wife… the whole office knew by four o'clock the next day!"

"That was different… he was doing the girl from the Cafeteria, it was written all over his face… it would have come out eventually…" Mark defended himself. "And unlike with Stan, nobody cares about who you're banging."

"Oh, people will care…" Amber confessed.

"Oh yeah? Sounds juicy… is it someone from international development… you did spend a lot of time with them this year…"

"Shut the hell up! I would never sleep with anyone in this office!" Amber was disgusted by the suggestion.

"Ouch… we're not all bad," Mark said, sitting up in his chair and straightening his tie.

"Um, yeah, you pretty much are…"

"Anyways, when _and if _it comes out as to who I am sleeping with, you can remember this conversation and laugh… and then lie and tell the whole world that you were the first to know," Amber offered him a peace treaty.

"_If?_ Oh, it will come out, because I_ will _find out!" Mark promised her as he swung his chair across the room. Amber just smiled and decided to turn her attention to her work. It was better to stop now then have Mark go digging to find out more details.

-.-

Her damn phone had been buzzing in her bag for over an hour. She was in a meeting and Mark couldn't concentrate on anything. She had been back in the office for only a week and he already wanted to kill her. He hated that she had the job that he wanted, got to go to the meetings he wanted, get the assignments he wanted. The hockey world was no place for a woman… or at least men's hockey. He would be perfectly content if she left for women's hockey. She was always so damn smug, acting like it didn't mean anything when she got to fly across the world to championship games, meeting the best of the best. He had worked his ass off to get to where he was and she got hired, why? _'Cause she was a woman and the guys would respond to her better.' _Fuck that.

_*Buzz__* Buzz*_

"Ahhhh!" He yelled in his office, slamming his fist into his keyboard. As if she couldn't turn it off! He got up from his desk, practically knocking over his chair and walked over to her desk, grabbing her purse and started digging. He pulled out her phone and unlocked the key pad. Eleven new messages.

'_I should just delete them all!' _He thought to himself. Over the years he had pulled a number of pranks, trying to make her look bad but none seemed to work. '_I bet one of the messages is from someone important, maybe I could just delete that one.'_ He opened her messages folder and scrolled through. They all seemed to be from the same person… … _ 'fuckin bitch…that bitch is friends with Sidney Crosby' _It was like salt on an open would, not only did she have his job, but she got to be friends with his favourite player.

Mark opened the latest text.

"_The suite is booked under your name, cant wait 2 c u there… hopefully naked LOL." _

"Apparently more then friends," Mark said out loud, looking up from the phone, immediately searching the hall for someone to tell. He scrolled through the last couple texts, nothing that said '_just friends'_ there. Apparently other then being a great hockey player, 'Sid the kid' was a horny bastard.

"Hey ready to go for lunch?" a co-worker popped his head in the door to the office.

"Oh yeah! And you're never going to believe this one…" Mark smiled an evil smile, waving Amber's phone in front of his co-workers face.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Amber stepped into the locker room at a nearby rink, where a group of young hockey players had been practicing. They were about to ship out to the Czech Republic, where they would be joining the other half of their team from Calgary, for the U-17 tournament. Many were playing on this level for the first time and were visibly nervous. Today she was meeting with the players for the last time, for them it was the last hurdle to go through before representing their country.

Before she left this room she had to sign off on each and every player, on their mental and emotional state, because a large part of this tournament was representing Canada and Team Canada had to trust that the players were going to handle themselves in a dignified _'Canadian'_ manner. If she didn't sign off on them, they didn't go. She had met with their coaches, trainers and done one-on-one interviews with them over the past week. She was sure that these young players didn't understand the pressure they could be facing and the effect nerves had on their bodies. What most of them didn't realize was that the different between a good player and a great player, was their ability to handle their emotions. Being calm and prepared was as important a skill as stick handling. A lot of time was spent with hockey players in the NHL preparing them for this but very little was done in the junior leagues. Hockey Canada hosted workshops across the country to prepare players but only a select group of coaches, probably those who had played at the upper levels, recommended it to their players. Amber could always tell who had been to these workshops, and of those who went, who actually listened.

She made her way across the room and greeted the coach. "So you think they are ready?"

"I guess we will find out," the coach shrugged. Coaches hated her – or not her – but her position. She could even cut their star forward or their best goalie if they didn't pass her test.

"Well I need to see…Ryan, Calvin and Howie…"

"Fuck, you've got to be kidding me…" the coach exclaimed.

"Relax, I just have a couple of things to go over with them, they aren't in trouble…" Amber stated calmly.

"Fine," the coach gave in. "I guess I can't say no…"

"It will only take a couple of minutes," Amber said while walking into a nearby office and putting her stuff down on the desk. She ran through her paperwork with each of the guys. It really was just a couple of lines they forgot to sign, nothing extreme. For the most part the guys were level headed and the coaches put the fear of god into them before she got here. She only had to cut one player before, and the coaching staff really wanted him gone anyway. Amber was going to head back to her office and sign off on every one of them today, so they could go and do what they all loved – play hockey.

She said goodbye to the trainers and coaches and wished everyone good luck. On her way out of the room, she overheard a couple of the guys whispering.

"You ask her… I double dog dare you!"

"No way man, you do it!"

"You guys are a bunch of pussies… you afraid of a girl?"

"Sorry guys, is there something you wanted to ask me?" Amber walked up to them and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Ummm… no mame…" one of the guys muttered, looking down at his skates.

"Good then, have a good trip…" Amber turned to walk away.

"We were just wondering if you really are fucking Sidney Crosby?" came from one of the guys.

"Excuse me?" Amber turned back around to face them.

"You heard me," the boy in the middle, the one who had called his friends pussies, replied. He clearly wanted to be the alpha dog in the room but was still trying to prove himself. "We heard the coaches laughing about it earlier…"

Amber was shocked and didn't know what to say. She stood in front of them staring and clenching her jaw, as to not say something stupid. '_How could they know? Nobody knew…' _she thought.

"What the fuck man… shut up…" his team mate punched him in the shoulder. "You're going to get us all in trouble…"

"Whatever, what's she gonna do?" the smart ass said to his team mate, then turned his attention back to Amber and winked. "You know if you're into younger guys, we're always available…"

"Yeah? You're going to be really available… 'cause your hockey career is over…" Amber snapped and turned and walked towards the coach's office.

-.-

"I stand behind my decision," Amber said firmly. "We cannot let him go overseas and talk to women like that… if he talked to the wrong person over there like he talked to me, it could be a PR disaster. I thought that was what we are trying to avoid."

"I understand your position, but he's an important part of the team," her boss stated, looking across the board room table from her.

"Well then he should have thought twice and shut the fuck up," Amber snapped back.

"Someone's PMSing…" one of the older men at the far end of the table laughed. It was all Amber could do to contain herself from going and ripping off his face. It was not the first time that she had heard that line and been forced to keep her cool in the boys club that was the hockey world.

"The entire purpose of Hockey Canada signing off on these kids, is to prevent someone like that from travelling and creating a situation in which Team Canada looks bad," Amber stated calmly. "It has nothing to do with me."

"Nothing to do with you? How can you say that?" Mark chimed in. "You're sleeping with Sidney Crosby! The kid wasn't lying or saying anything that isn't true…"

"And what would have given him that idea? Oh yeah, you read through my private phone messages!" Amber yelled down the length of the table to her evil co-worker. After the kid ran his mouth in the dressing room, a full out investigation was held into where the rumour had started. It didn't take long for it to get traced back to Mark. Amber had never felt so stupid. She couldn't believe that she had ever trusted him, what was she thinking?

"We will deal with him after," her boss said sharply. "What we are here to discuss, is whether you should continue with us or not…"

"What?" Amber said in disbelief. "What I do in my private time, does not affect my work."

"Except that in this case, it does. Sidney Crosby is a high profile Canadian player. A lot of people will say a lot of nasty things about your relationship – if in fact you are in a relationship - and for much the same reason that you declined the U-17 player, we feel we need to look at your position here," her boss explained. "We simply cannot - and will not - be associated with controversy. Mr. Crosby has caused enough of a tangle with international hockey this year. The last thing we need is for the media to pick apart any apparent relationship with a member of our staff and issues that that may bring up."

"There are no issues," Amber pleaded.

"Amber, you know well enough that the media doesn't need there to _be_ an issue for them _report_ one."

-.-

_*buzz*buzz*_

Amber looked up from her pillow briefly, then laid her head back down.

_*buzz*buzz*_

"Ugh…" Amber reached across her bed and grabbed her phone, half tempted to throw the bloody thing into the wall.

"What?" she answered sharply.

"_You haven't answered any of my calls or texts… I was beginning to worry…"_

"Sid, I really can't talk right now, I'm not in a very good mood…"

"_What's going on? Maybe I can cheer you up?"_

"Nope, I am pretty sure that you might be the last person who can cheer me up… I just got fired…"

"_What? Why?"_

"Yeah, well that's the great part… for sleeping with you…"

There was a long pause.

"_I don't understand… what do you mean?"_

"Well my asshole co-worker read my text messages from you and then told everybody he could, which in turn lead to me fighting with some puck ass, mother-fucking, over entitled 17 year old prink, who's father happens to be a huge financial contributor, who then threatened Hockey Canada if they didn't fire me, he would pull his funding… and thus I am now unemployed. Still think you can cheer me up?" Amber added sarcastically.

"_They can't do that…"_

"Oh yes they can…"

"_So… what are you going to do?"_

"I don't know… probably apply with some of the Euro leagues. As much as I hate them, Russia offered me a contract last year. The idea of working for the Russians makes me slightly sick to my stomach…. I was going to see if Germany or Denmark needed some help, I have some contacts there…maybe go work for the joke of a Mexico team… at least I'll stay warm…"

"_But then… you'll be far…"_

"That is the thing about European Leagues… they aren't in Canada…"

"_I'll never see you…" _Another long pause._ "Or, hey… you could move here… "_

"Sid, I need to work."

"_No you don't. You can come here and move in with me. This solves all those questions that you didn't have answers to…"_

"Sid, stop."

"_No! Come on Amber. Here me out… I know you don't think so, but this is actually perfect! I felt bad for making you have to leave your job, but now you don't! You can come here and …_

"And what? Be a trophy wife. That's not who I am!"

"_I didn't say that…"_

"That's what you meant…"

"_NO! Actually, I was going to say that the team is getting on my case for not having a real manager, apparently they don't think my dad is cutting it, I don't want to tell him that, but you could come and be my manager. You threatened if I got you fired in Vancouver that you were going to be my manager, so now you might as well follow through on your threat…"_

"Sid, I can't just…"

"_Yes, you can,"_ he cut her off. _"Everything will work out, you'll see…"_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Amber stepped out of the airport and into the rain. She looked down the road of cabs and cars, making pickups. This wasn't boding well. _'As if he couldn't even pick me up from the damn airport,_' she thought. Half of her debated heading back inside and getting on the next flight out. She walked back into the warmth of the terminal and pulled out her cell phone to see if he had called.

"Amber?"

She turned and looked behind her, as a tall blonde woman was racing up behind her.

"Oh my goodness! I am so glad I found you! I was worried that you had left… not that you probably have any idea where to go…Sid would have been pissed at me!" The woman came up, kissing her on both cheeks and then with a smile looked Amber up and down. "You're exactly what he described! I am sorry I was late, the traffic… it's like when it rains a bit, people forget how to drive!"

"I'm sorry… who are-" Amber looked at the woman quizzically.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm Nathalie… didn't Sid tell you?" The woman looked at her with concern. "He had a team commitment, so he asked me to come and pick you up and take you back to our place. He said he would be there as soon as he could!"

"Oh… okay…I'm sure he called but I don't have any reception yet…" Amber explained.

"This airport is archaic! Come, let's get out of here!" Nathalie reached for Amber luggage and put her arm under hers, guiding her towards the parcade.

-.-

"Don't worry about your bags, I'll get Rosa to take them up to the guest room," Nathalie offered to Amber, as she climbed out of the car. The trip from the airport had been a bit of a rollercoaster, weaving through heavy traffic and listening to Nathalie describe Sid's schedule, as if making excuses for why he hadn't picked her up himself. She had been busy looking out the windows and trying to pay attention to where they were heading but everything looked so foreign that she didn't even recognize the Starbucks drive thru window until Nathalie prompted her for an order.

Amber climbed out of the passenger side slowly, looking up at the large brick house which they had finally arrived at. She had grown up in a modest home, in a modest neighbourhood. She knew that Sid wouldn't exactly live in a family bungalow but for some reason she hadn't quite prepared herself for this.

"Come on then, we'll see if anyone's home," Nathalie walked towards the front door and headed inside. Amber quickly chased after her, feeling as if she didn't keep up, she'd get lost.

Upon entering the house, Amber felt a little weak in the knees. If the front of the house was nice, then this entrance way was simply unreal. The large room featured a wide marble staircase, with a wrought iron banister and a huge crystal chandelier. She half expected children to emerge from a bedroom, lined up like the Von Trap children. Nathalie was greeted by a housekeeper, to which she instructed to take care of the bags. Amber followed Nathalie down a wide hall where they entered a large ornate kitchen.

"Okay, now I am jealous…" Amber couldn't stop herself. She had only ever seen kitchens like this on TV or in magazines.

"Jealous? Oh darling, I am going to be jealous of _your_ kitchen soon enough!" Nathalie joked.

"My kitchen?" Amber stuttered. It had never occurred to her that she would have something like this or even half as nice as this. Maybe Sid was right, maybe there would be perks to this living arrangement after all…

"That is if Sid ever gets the renos finished! He can't seem to make decisions! I'm sure you'll be able to help with that… It will be so nice for him to have someone around, to help with stuff. I was beginning to worry about him being all alone over there. I was thinking I was going to have to drop off food everyday… I doubt the guy has ever cooked a meal for himself in his life!"

"Oh great…" Amber smiled and laughed to herself.

"Not that he wouldn't learn or try to help… it just may be easier to just do it yourself… you do cook, don't you?"

"Yeah, no I love to cook, its just funny…" Amber shifted uncomfortably, realizing that she may have just offended her. She knew that he had pretty much everything done for him for the past five years but come on…

"And watch out, he is a bit of a momma's boy…" Nathalie continued, making nothing of it. "Oh and he leaves cereal bowls all over the house. I'm not sure who's worse, him or Austin!"

"Cereal bowls, gotcha…" Amber made a mental note. "Anything else I should know?"

"Oh… I could write a book!" Nathalie laughed, then gestured Amber to a large breakfast table. "Come and sit, you must be exhausted."

"Mom, do you know where Dad is? I need him to sign… oh sorry, hi." A tall dark haired young girl walked in. She was in a tank top and baggy sweatpants, ipod ear phones hanging from her shirt.

"Steph, this is Amber, Sid's friend," Nathalie introduced her. "And no, I don't know where your father is… I think he is supposed to be here… Did you call him?"

Steph shook her head, looking Amber up and down. She seemed to have a 'not impressed' look on her face, thinking that perhaps Sid could do better. The inspecting look made Amber more then a little uncomfortable but she knew that she would be on display and had been warned that a lot of people were going to hate her by Nathalie on the drive from the airport. It was going to take some getting used to. Her own insecurities were going to have to be held in check. She imagined that this would be the first of many teenage girls to give her that look.

"Pleasure to meet you," Amber stated.

"Right… whatever… I guess I'll call him…" then Steph just walked away.

"Don't worry, she is just a brat. She, and everyone here, is very protective of Sid and it will just take a little getting used to. She might be your toughest audience 'cause she's friends with Taylor, and its an age thing…"

"No worries… I'll have to get used to it."

"Oh that you will! Let the hazing begin… The WAGS will be the worst… but if you pass their tests, you'll be in for life…"

"The WAGS?" Amber asked

"Wives and Girlfriends… the players _significant others_ kind of form a tight group. Most of them just get together to drink too much when the guys are on road trips then gossip behind each others backs but some are genuine and can be great friends. Some are worse then others, you'll be able to tell right away. As a warning, they can pick out a weakness and will feed on it. You need to go in strong, knowing that you deserve to be there."

"I don't tend to get along well with a lot of girls," Amber admitted. "That's why I work in hockey, I guess. Growing up, I was always out playing with the boys…"

"Well you're going to have to learn. When they find out that you are here, if they haven't already, they are going to appear by the masses…" Nathalie warned, and then placed her hand warmly on Amber's. "I'll be there to help as much as I can!"

-.-

"Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't come get you…"

"Mmmm… whatever," Amber rolled over on her side. She had gone to lay down after a long chat with Nathalie. "I got to hear all your dirty secrets from Nathalie… apparently your very particular about the way your socks get folded… I think you can damn well fold your own socks…"

"Oh yeah? Well I don't expect you to fold my socks… I never asked Nathalie to do it either, she just did and I wasn't going to argue… I just refolded them… we can hire someone to fold my socks…" Sid bent down to where she was lying and kissed her cheek, then flipped his legs up onto the bed and curled up behind her.

"I hate that they put you in the guest room," he muttered, nuzzling up to the back of her head.

"Yeah, she said something about house rules," Amber replied.

"Yeah, I know, it just sucks… I've never even brought a girl here before," Sid continued. "We could stay at my house, but I haven't really moved in yet and it's a huge disaster."

"No worries…" Amber rolled over to face Sid. "I could get used to this… the housekeeper already unpacked my clothes and ironed two shirts that she said were too wrinkly… they've certainly never been ironed before…"

"Yeah, it's a pretty sweet deal here," Sid agreed. "Have you met any of the kids?"

"Steph. She gave me the once over and walked away."

"Nice. She can be a bit of a bitch. I've picked her up from school and I swear the boys in her class are actually afraid of her," Sid laughed. "I would have been afraid of her…"

"She's friends with your sister?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. My sister will form her own opinion. They head back to school next week and I'd like you to meet her before then…"

"Well, I guess I am in deep now…"

"Oh, you are in deep alright," Sid laughed and leaned in for another kiss, this time taking his time and lingering on her perfect lips. She tasted so sweet and he hadn't seen her in weeks. He was going to have a hard time respecting the house rules, with her being so close by.

"I'm going to tell on you!" Came a boy's voice from the doorway.

"Piss off Austin!" Sid sat up, wiping his lips and laughing.

"Mom said to tell you and your _friend_ that dinner is ready," Austin teased before heading off.

"Thanks little dude, we'll be right down," Sid offered, hoping that Austin wouldn't run down and tell everyone how he had just been found.

"And that's Austin…" Sid turned back to Amber with a smile. She sat up and gathered her long hair into a ponytail.

"Two down, two to go?" Amber confirmed.

"And Mario…"

"Right."

"But Nathalie already loves you and I am sure she probably already told him, so it won't be weird or anything. And the fact that you speak French and know hockey pretty much wins him over," Sid reassured her. "We better head down…" Sid climbed off the bed and pulled her up to him. She wrapped hers arms around his neck and kissed him one more time.

"What I'm sensing is that we're never going to be alone for long in this house…" Amber purred into his ear.

"I promise I will pick up the pace on the renos…" he mumbled back. "I know this is less then ideal, but it will all work out… come on, let's go eat…"

And with that Amber let Sid pull her down the grand stairs, hand in hand.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Amber sat at the large family dining room, just observing the organized chaos. She had been firmly instructed not to help but as she watched Nathalie, the house keeper and the rest of the family set the table, bring out the food, fill the wine glasses and wrangle the children, she felt a pang of guilt for not helping. To Amber's surprise, Nathalie put every kid to work with some menial task, even Sid had to pour the wine and put out the napkins. She always imagined rich kids to be catered to hand and foot but these kids seemed somehow _normal_. She felt a little like a princess herself, not having a job to do.

"Go tell your father to get off his phone and come and sit down," Nathalie instructed Stephanie.

Amber's heart rate increased as her meeting of Mario Lemieux loomed closer. She knew he was really important to Sid and that his opinion mattered potentially more then his own father's. She had been introduced to Alexa, the youngest, who quickly insisted on sitting next to her at the dining room table. '_At least I have one who likes me',_ Amber thought to herself. Austin and Sid were talking about a hockey camp that Austin was attending, while walking in and out of the room with bowls of food from the kitchen and barely acknowledged her. The last of the Lemieux children had yet to come in but had been sent on the hunt for lost paperwork for her parents.

"Here mom," Lauren walked into the room and handed Nathalie a stack of papers.

"When were these due?" Nathalie asked her oldest daughter, who sat down at the far end of the table.

"I dunno… I gave them to dad but he just put them down on his desk," Lauren shrugged.

"But they are your responsibility…"

"But if I gave them to Dad, then my responsibility is done, its not like I am paying the tuition…"

"Drop the attitude young lady," Nathalie warned, heading back into the kitchen.

"Fine, whatever," Lauren leaned over the table and switched her empty wine glass for Sid's full one. "Oh, hi, you must be Amanda?"

"Amber. Hi, " she corrected, smiling at the young lady, as she took a sip from the cup. Sid came around the corner and promptly removed the glass from her hand and took it to his side of the table, shaking his head.

"Awww… come on…" Lauren whined after him.

"Nope. Nice try though," Sid stated simply sitting down at the table beside Amber and taking her hand. '_He really does fit in like family',_ she thought.

"He said he'll be right down," Steph came in and plopped down in a chair across from Amber.

"No ipods at the table," Sid reminded her. She rolled her eyes and pushed the cords down her shirt.

"Tada," she replied sarcastically.

Sid just shook his head and squeezed Amber's hand.

"When's your house going to be done?" Lauren began to play the role of the diplomat, sensing the tension.

"Hopefully soon," Sid offered.

"Have you been to see it?" Lauren asked Amber.

"No, I'll probably take her after dinner," Sid replied for her.

"If Dad lets you out alive?" Lauren laughed. Amber gave a terrified look and Austin and Steph both laughed, as if they knew what she was in for.

"I'll protect you," Alexa declared, as she stuck her head under Amber's arm.

"You think I'm going to need it?" Amber asked, smiling down at the cubby head now mostly in her lap. Alexa nodded.

"Come on you guys, stop it!" Sid argued. "Your dad will be just fine…"

"Yeah right," Steph laughed, then turned her attention to Amber "You're from Ottawa? Dad hates Ottawa… all stuffy Canadian politics."

"No," Amber corrected them. "I worked in Ottawa, I'm from Montreal."

The girls exchanged looks then both rolled their eyes. Sid just smiled.

"You're such a brown noser!" Steph threw her napkin at Sid.

"What?" He laughed.

"Montreal? Did he pick her out for you too?" Lauren teased.

Amber looked at Sid, "What's this about?"

"Mario sends the girls to Quebec every summer, in hopes that they will find a good French boy…only a boy from Quebec will do for his _'petites princesses,'_" Sid explained.

"Ohhh, so you're what? Just leading by example? Bringing home a good little French girl?" Amber teased.

"You could be from butt-fuck Winnipeg, it would make no difference," Sid squeezed her hand.

"SWEAR JAR!" Austin yelled, pointing at Sid.

"Piss off!" Sid warned him.

"It's the rules! Give me a dollar!" Austin jumped up from the table with his hand out. Sid dutifully reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. After flipping through his wallet, he settled on a $5. "Here brat," shoving it into Austin's hand. "I'm paid up for four more…" Austin quickly ran off to place it into the swear jar.

"That's how I pay for room and board…" Sid explained to Amber. The girls agreed.

"Hold on to your hats, here comes Dad," Steph mumbled.

Mario walked into the room and sat down at the table, scrolling through emails on his blackberry. Nathalie came in behind him and cleared her throat. Mario looked up to meet his wives disproving look and put his phone away, knowing not to argue.

"Where's Austin?" He asked.

"Adding my daily contribution to the swear jar," Sid admitted. Mario shook his head and glanced at Amber.

"So you must be the famous Amber we've all heard about?"

"I suppose I am…" Amber admitted.

"Well then, Beinvenue à Pittsburgh," Mario stated. Amber tried to read some sort of approval or disapproval but there was no facial expression.

"Merci de m'accueillir dans votre maison," Amber replied.

"Ah, vous parlez francais? Where are you from?"

"Je suis de Montreal," Amber answered. She saw the girls roll their eyes from across the table. Nathalie exchanged looks with Mario and smiled.

"She grew up next door to Max," Sid added, giving a frame of reference.

"Were you friends growing up?" Lauren asked.

"Max was my best friend," Amber admitted.

"Was? How does he feel about you dating Sid?" Steph sat up and asked, finally intrigued.

"It's an area of contention…" Sid offered, flashing Steph a warning look.

"Oh?" Mario raised an eyebrow. "Anything we should be concerned about?"

"No, its fine, we are working it out," Sid reassured him.

"I'm sure you will," Nathalie cut them off. "Can we say grace and start dinner please? It's going to get cold."

Mario reached for the hands of the people on each side, as everyone at the table did the same and bowed their heads. Mario spouted out a quick grace, followed by Amen and the kids begun passing around bowls.

Sid leaned into Amber and whispered "That may have been the worst of it. The Montreal thing really helped. Now you can just win him over with hockey knowledge."

Amber looked him in the eye and smiled. '_If that was really the worst of it, then freakin halleluiah!'_ She thought. _'Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.' _

-.-

Dinner progressed spectacularly. The entire Lemieux family quizzed her about every aspect of her life, where she worked, where she went to school, who she knew, how they met, about her family, friends, - everything. It was like a rapid fire interview. Stephanie seemed to have warmed up to Amber and Lauren was making plans to show her the best shopping. Austin couldn't care less. Alexa barely made it through dinner without climbing into Amber's lap and pulling out her notebook to show off everything she was doing in school.

Mario just sat silently, taking everything in. Every now and then Sid would catch him out of the corner of his eye, exchanging knowing looks with Nathalie – like they had some kind of secret. It was making him nervous.

After dinner was finished, Nathalie stood up to start clearing the table and Amber quickly rose to help her. The kids quickly disappeared, as they almost always did when it was time to clean up. Mario sat back with a relaxed look on his face and quickly dug out his Blackberry. Sid sat nervously, trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject that was plaguing his mind.

"So you're really not going to say anything?" he finally blurted out.

"She seems lovely." Mario stated calmly, not looking up from the screen of his phone.

"What were those looks between you and Nathalie? I saw them."

"Looks? There were looks?" Mario teased, looking up at Sid. Sid nodded.

"I wasn't aware there were looks…" Mario smiled. "We are just glad that you have found someone who makes you happy… and quite frankly, someone who doesn't seem like a complete nut case."

"She's not…"

"She also seems to have half a brain, which is a bonus, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"You're sure she's not just playing you? That is the problem with smart girls…"

"No. She's not _playing_ me."

"You're positive? We've seen it happen…"

"I'm not an idiot," Sid hissed. "I'm not about to fall for some stupid puck bunny. She's not like that… she's not playing me. You don't know what I had to do to get her here."

"Oh, she made you work for it? Good for her… she really is a smart one," Mario chuckled to himself, turning back to his phone.

Sid just starred at Mario and grit his teeth. It couldn't be true. He knew her. He knew that she wasn't like that. She couldn't have played this out. Mario was just testing him, he told himself. Sid had watched him do it to his kids all the time. He wasn't going to let him get under his skin.

"She's not like that… you'll see," Sid said quietly, standing up from the table.

"For you're sake, I certainly hope so…" Mario added, while watching him leave the room.

-.-

Sid walked into the kitchen where Amber and Nathalie were laughing and cleaning up. He stopped in the door way and just watched for a second. Amber seemed relaxed and like she was genuinely enjoying herself, most importantly, like she was fitting in. When he had gotten home earlier, Nathalie had gushed on and on about how great Amber seemed and then hugged him and congratulated him on finding a 'good one'.

"Hey Sid, you just going to stand there, or are you going to help?" Nathalie asked.

"Umm… sorry, I was just thinking… what do you need me to do?" Sid apologized, walking into the kitchen.

"Nothing, I was just teasing… I think we are pretty much done here," Nathalie waved him away.

"Oh, okay, sorry…" Sid shrugged then turned to Amber. "I was wondering if you wanted to go see the house?"

"Sure, that sounds great," Amber agreed, folding the dish cloth that she had been using to wipe the counters. "I hear I'm going to get a great kitchen?"

"If he ever picks a counter top…" Nathalie reminded her.

"Hahaha… I will…" Sid rolled his eyes. Amber and Nathalie smiled and giggled a little.

"You know what? Maybe you can pick the counter top!" Sid pointed at Amber. "Yeah, I like that plan… I am done making decisions! You're turn!"

"What? It's _your_ house!" Amber protested.

"Our house… it's _our_ house…" Sid reminded her. He watched her cheeks turn red, as Nathalie wrapped her arm around her shoulders warmly. '_No,'_ he thought to himself. '_She is the real deal, she loves me.'_

"Come on, I can't wait to show you!" Sid reached out for her hand, which she quickly obliged and he led her towards the door.

-.-

"I was right, wasn't I? She's great!" Nathalie stated, walking into the dining room, to where –surprise, surprise – her husband had yet to move from.

"Ummhmmm… she seems okay…" Mario agreed, scrolling through his email on his blackberry.

"I sense a but…."

"But, there are a lot of good actresses in this world," Mario said in a knowing voice.

"Oh come on, it's not like this girl has been standing outside the arena waiting for her time to strike!"

"She hasn't? How do you know? What do we know about her?"

"Oh come on! It's not up to us to know anything about her. I am sure Sid knows enough about her to make an informed decision… It's none of our business," Nathalie reminded him firmly, putting her hands on her hips to emphasis her point.

"Except that it is _my business_… I can't have some scheming bitch coming in and distracting _my investment_," Mario stated.

"I'm sorry? Your _investment_? You seem to forget that he is a 23 year old young man, not a stock to pay you dividends. He deserves to have someone to make him happy, to take care of him."

"I'm not saying he doesn't. Quite frankly nothing would make me happier then seeing Sid with a good woman, I just want to make sure that this particular woman is the right choice," Mario reassured his wife, who he could sense was not seeing his point of view. "I'm just going to look into it a bit… do a little research…"

"Leave it alone Mario," Nathalie warned him sharply, turning on her heels to head out of the room. She then stepped back into the room. "You didn't say anything to Sid right?"

"Anything? Anything like what?" Mario asked innocently. "He asked what I thought of her and I gave him my honest opinion. I just reminded him to keep his guard up."

"Vous êtes un trou du cul! You couldn't just be happy for him, could you?"

"Its better then him getting screwed! You may thank me later!"

"Later? Later when what, Mario? When Sid has obsessed over every little detail of their relationship, second guessing every move she makes, never trusting her? When she can't take it anymore and leaves him? You think he's going to thank you when he's alone and devastated? AHHH! Tabernac! I can't believe you sometimes!" Nathalie stormed out of the room.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Sid pulled up to the newly installed gates at the front of his new house. He punched in his security code and watched the gates swing open. He took his foot off the brake and moved the car forward up the driveway. He was nervous. What if she didn't like the house he had picked? What if it was too family oriented and she panicked 'cause she thought he was moving too fast? What if…

"Wow," he heard her gasp under her breath. He looked over at her and watched her leaning forward, to look out the front window.

"Yeah? You like it?" Sid asked excitedly. He probably sounded like he was a five year old, giving his grandma a card he had made all by himself.

"Ummm… yeah… it's gorgeous!" Amber was barely in her seat.

"I'm really glad you like it! I want you to be happy here," Sid pulled his car up to the front of the house. Amber was looking out the passenger window, at the freshly landscaped front yard and acknowledged Sid with a nod. He climbed out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for her. She had a huge smile on her face and her eyes were as big as plates. He offered her a hand out of the car.

"I warn you, it's pretty bad in there… there is next to no furniture…" Sid warned her.

"I don't care," Amber put her finger up to Sid's lips to silence him, then quickly replaced it with her lips. It felt good to be alone with her.

"I may not have much, but I do have a bed…" Sid mumbled into her mouth.

"Sid…"

"Fine, I'll behave… mostly…" He pulled her closer to him, pushing his lips to closer to hers. "I am so happy you are here. Now, let me show you around," he pulled away from her. "This is the front door," Sid pointed towards the door. "I was thinking of painting it red, it's supposed to bring good luck."

"My favourite colour is red," Amber stated.

"Well then, consider it done," Sid teased, walking up to the door and unlocking it. He swung it open then stepped out of the way for her to go through. Amber stepped towards the door, peering inside. She went to step through, when she suddenly found herself off her feet and in Sid's arms.

"I've always wanted to do this," Sid smiled at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled back.

"I think this is a wedding thing… not an I-just-moved-here thing," Amber pointed out.

"Well then, maybe we will just consider it practice…" Sid carried her into the entry way, which was huge and open but full of his contractor's tools and lumber. "This would be way more romantic without the saw dust…"

-.-

Amber just stood in the entry way and looked around. The Lemieux house was immaculate, ornate and over the top. Sid's house was much more modest but still overwhelmingly huge. The front of the house reminded her of something she once saw in a Martha Stewart magazine, very New England Style, white with green shingles, with huge bay windows and four dormers on the second floor. The drive to the front of the house, along the long tree lined driveway, almost took her breath away. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting but this somehow wasn't it. It looked so… so… so not like it should belong to a young superstar hockey player. More like the home of an investment banker with a Stepford wife and three kids – who wore sweater vests and private school clothes, even on weekends. Is this really how Sid saw his life? Could this be what she wanted? Isn't this what every woman wanted?

She stood silently, trying to take it all in, trying to envision her life in this house. She exhaled forcefully sensing panic building up in her body.

"Everything okay?" Sid asked quietly from behind her.

"Yes… I'm just… a bit overwhelmed," Amber admitted.

"Take your time… through there is the living room and dining room, down this hall is the bathroom and my dad's favourite room – _the showcase room_ – and this way is the office and library – it has no books yet but eventually… all the halls lead to the kitchen, which is a disaster. It used to be three rooms but I had a couple of walls taken out to make it more open, so that you can see into the backyard from the kitchen," Sid explained. "The basement is in pretty good shape. I haven't had to do a lot down there, just remove the crazy shag carpet but there's a huge family room, a movie theatre, a gym – which was the first room with anything in it – and an indoor pool, which is pretty cool."

Sid watched her look around, his nervousness returned. "There is also a bedroom and a wine cellar downstairs, and another kitchen, which Nathalie told me will be good for parties and such – so the mess stays down there. There's only one bottle of wine in the wine cellar… Mario brought it when I got possession… he said it was bad luck to have an empty wine cellar. Upstairs is a bunch of bedrooms and another open family room. You're going to love the master bedroom, it has his and her walk-in closets and the biggest bathroom I've ever seen! It needs some updating but it has potential. There is a balcony off the master, which overlooks the backyard and the new pool that is going in… it was a kidney shaped pool, which I hate cause you can't do laps without running into a wall… apparently, replacing a pool is a stupid complicated job… its taking forever… and making a huge mess…" Sid stopped himself, he felt like he was rambling. Amber hadn't said anything and was still just standing in the middle of the entry way. "Please say something…"

"Sorry… Can I walk around?" Amber asked innocently.

"Of course… go wherever you want… it's your house too…" Sid reassured her. Sid watched as Amber walked slowly through the hallways, going from room to room. He found himself pointing out selling features, like his real estate agent had done while showing him the house._ 'And in this room, is an original fireplace, in good condition, that's real marble…'_ He felt like a loser trying to impress his first date.

She walked around the entire main floor, silently. When she entered the kitchen, she smiled to herself, as if she was hiding an inside joke. There were no cupboard doors or counter tops or appliances, it barely looked like a kitchen at all actually.

Sid watched as she moved downstairs, one of the few areas of the house with any furniture. There was a pool table that came with the house and a leather couch that he had moved in and put in front of a large screen TV. There was a box on the floor in front of the couch that was acting as a coffee table/storage unit for his PlayStation Games. He walked quickly over to the couch and quickly pushed a couple pairs of discarded socks together into a pile and tried to kick them under the couch.

"Sorry… I'll pick those up…" He added nervously, slightly embarrassed by his slobbery. Amber laughed and walked to the glass windows that separated the family room from the indoor pool.

"Wow… this house is insane," she commented, as she pressed herself against the glass.

"I am having that retiled…" Sid commented. "I don't think the previous owners ever cleaned it. It was really gross…"

"Can't just Tilex it?" Amber teased.

"It was old and dirty looking… "

"You're too funny… or too rich… I haven't decided which yet," Amber continued on her investigation back up the stairs to the main floor and up the stairs to the second floor with Sid close on her heels.

"So my parents put dibs on that room and my sister wants that one," Sid pointed in opposite directions. "Not that there isn't enough space… they could really have three rooms each!"

"Which one's the master?" Amber asked. Sid pointed towards the double doors on his left. Amber walked and opened the doors to a huge room with nothing but a mattress on the floor and an open suitcase.

"I wasn't lying when I said I had nothing here…" Sid reminded her.

"At least you have what counts right? A PlayStation, a TV, a couch and a bed…" Amber laughed. "Or at least a mattress and a pillow… this is actually kinda sad Mr. Millionaire Hockey Player!"

"I told you I needed you here… furniture selection is not my forte…you're going to have to help me in here…"

"Oh I think I might be able to provide some assistance spending your money… and as far as helping you in _here_, well…" Amber purred, walking into the room and sitting down on the mattress, spreading out her long legs across the floor. "I may be up for the challenge…"

"I didn't think I had _problems_ in this room…" Sid joked softly, watching her kick off her shoes and look at him devilishly. Sid walked over to the mattress and lowered himself to his knees, staying locked with her crystal blue eyes. He pulled his shirt up over his head. She reached forward and undid his belt and pants. Sid leaned in and nipped her bottom lip, then slowly lowered her to the mattress, climbing over her and kicking off his pants. He worked to quickly strip her of her clothes, eager to get next to her naked body again. The few short weeks they were apart felt like an eternity and every second that ticked by without being inside her was now unacceptable to him.

Sid reached down and pulled at her underwear, the last piece of material remaining in the way of his goal. He sat back to remove them and then climbed back over top of her and looked down into her eyes. "I can't tell you enough how happy I am that you are here," he whispered while leaning in to contact his lips to hers. She met him half way and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, continuing the invitation of closeness down his body. He felt his dick contact her pussy and slid in and instinct took over from there. He thrust deep inside of her, wanting to be deeper then ever. She dug her fingernails into his back and encouraged him to continue, her legs tightening around his body with each thrust. He leaned back and pulled her legs to his side, holding on to the back of her knees for more momentum. He watched her body react to each thrust - the way her perfect breasts moved from the force, the way her stomach tightened with each gasp that left her lungs, the way her arms searched above her head for something to hang on to. He began to pound into her faster and faster, listening to her moan and swear, feeling her clench her tight pussy around his cock and feeling the sensation of her fingers as she ran her hands over his chest. Watching her arch her back and bite her lip, watching her caress her own breast and nipples, knowing that he was responsible for making her feel incredible, was the hottest and most satisfying feeling in the world.

He felt her clench tightly and a wave of liquid washed over his dick, as she came around him. He continued to thrust into her but the tightness and the dripping wet hotness was more then could take. He released her knees and leaned forward over her on his hands, pounding into her rapidly. He felt the pressure climb through his body and with a deep growl from the very core of his being, he released himself into her.

He collapsed beside her in a sweaty heap, his dick twitching in exhaustion. _'What a way to christen the new house,'_ Sid thought, making a mental note to do that in every room of the house.

-.-

"So I am taking it, you're okay with the house?" Sid asked, burying his head into her neck. He needed some re assurance before he could fall asleep.

"This is a lot for me to take in…" Amber admitted, wiggling into her position as the little spoon. "Its like you have a whole life planned out here and I just happened to show up at the right time… it could have been any girl…"

"No," Sid shook his head. "I have been waiting for _you_ my whole life. Not just any girl… you. And yeah, I have an idea of what I want in my life, who doesn't?"

"Not many 23 year olds buy family homes… I guess I was expecting something different…"

"Age is just a number. I don't exactly act my _age_. I feel like a 40 year old trapped in the body of a 23 year old. I want things. I want to be married and I want a family and I want Sunday dinners, kids birthday parties… all of that. What's so wrong with that? I am sorry that this is freaking you out but it's what I want… and I thought you would understand…"

"I am not freaking out… and I am not saying that what you want is bad or wrong… it's just… a lot to take in… it's a big change for me… I didn't think this is what I wanted… but now…"

"But now what?"

"But now, I see myself picking out sweater sets and picking up your socks and making you dinner and… and… and being a housewife, _your_ housewife… and it feels _good_ and that's strange to me. Max used to plan this same life for me and I hated it. I always wanted a career and my own life and I loved being single and independent and now, oh my god, Nathalie has me excited about picking out towels for Christ sakes…" Amber covered her hands with her face and Sid watched her take deep breaths to calm herself.

Sid knew he should say something to help calm her. But it was him that needed to be calmed. In his head, he was starting to panic. He didn't know what to say… Nathalie had warned him that her coming here was going to be a big change and that he needed to be understanding and that she might not be happy to give up everything for him. _'It's going to be a big adjustment… for both of you…you're not exactly used to taking care of someone else's feelings…"_ Nathalie had said. He had assured Nathalie that everything was going to be fine, they had talked about everything.

"I don't know what to say… I'm sorry…" Sid sat up on his elbow and looked down at her as she rolled to face him. He knew she could probably see the worry on his face but he couldn't hide it. "I never said you _had_ to be a housewife… you can do whatever you want… and I don't expect you to pick up my socks and … and … if this isn't what you want then fuck it, we can make adjustments… I just want you to be happy, I want to make you happy…"

"No, you're not hearing me…" Amber cut him off. "I am saying that being a housewife is suddenly my idea of happy… you are making me happy, just in a way I never expected."

"Oh… so you're okay?"

"I am better then okay… and to answer your question, I love the house… "


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Sid woke up in the morning with a smile on his face. Amber was sound asleep, curled into the nook of his arm, only half covered by the sheets. Her long brown hair was draped over the side of his arm, which was half numb from the weight of her head. He knew he was late for meeting his trainer but for the first time in his life, he didn't care. Andy would understand. It had been a long summer and he had gotten a work out in almost everyday. He deserved one morning to enjoy himself, to sleep in and –

_*bang__*bang*bang*bang*_

"What the…?" Amber awoke and sat upright with a startled look on her face.

"Shhhh… It's okay baby, it's just the construction crew. They're probably working in the kitchen. Lie back down," Sid pulled her back down to his chest.

"Holy crap… That is not the wake up I wanted…" she moaned, stretching out across the bed before curling back up against Sid's body.

"Oh? What wake up did you want?" he asked suggestively, rolling onto his side, leaning on his forearm, to look at her. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips.

"Coffee… maybe some bacon…" Amber teased, knowing full well that what was on his mind had nothing to do with the four food groups. She could see the evidence of his thoughts through the tent under the sheets and could feel it when he leaned over her.

"Oh," Sid said, sounding confused. He sat up on the bed. "Well, I guess we have to head back to the Lemieux's for that…"

"I am just kidding…" Amber said, sitting up next to him. "I mean bacon and coffee sound great but…" She lingered on her words before finishing her sentence, "… I think I can wait."

Sid turned towards her, with one eyebrow raised. "Wait? For what?"

"You're not very quick, are you?" Amber teased, pulling the sheet up over her and climbing onto his lap to straddle him. She leaned in close to him to brush her lips with his and he let out a slow, "Ohhhhh… I get it…" before pressing his lips to hers and running his hands down over her exposed back. He put both hands on her ass and pulled her closer to him. She let the sheet fall to the side and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself against his body. Sid kissed down her neck, as she let out soft moans of enjoyment and moved herself over his erection. She took the full length of him inside her and he let out a deep groan, rolling his eyes into the back of his head. Amber moved up and down his shaft, swiveling her hips and grinding into him. She clenched her pussy muscles around him and he fell backwards on the bed. He watched her body in amazement as she moved over him, watched her breasts move up and down as she raised and lowered herself. She leaned back stretching out her body. Sid ran his hands up her body, to her breasts and held on to them, feeling his body get closer to the point of no return.

"He wants a new bathtub put in here…" Came a deep mans voice into the room, as the doors to the bedroom opened and a number of construction workers stepped in. Amber scrambled for the sheet and Sid pushed her to the side and tried to protect her modesty, leaving his bare ass hanging out.

"Oh shit, ah… ah…" Said the man in the front of the group, quickly turning around and pushing the others back towards the door. Sid watched the faces of the other men in the group, their eyes wide, all trying to get a peak at who was lying on the other side of him.

"Get out!" Sid yelled towards the door, shielding Amber with his body. When he was sure that they had left, he turned to her, expecting a look of mortification but instead she was smiling, holding back laughter.

"I'm so sorry…" He offered, kissing her shoulder.

"Welcome to Pittsburgh?" Amber offered back, giggling.

"It's not funny…" Sid poked her. "If any one of those guys had a camera phone, my bare ass will be all over the internet by noon…"

"That's actually pretty funny…" Amber giggled some more. "And relax, they weren't in here long enough to get out their camera phones and they certainly weren't looking to get a look at _your_ ass…"

"I don't want anyone looking at your ass but me…"

"Well, you may have to get over that… I have a pretty nice ass. Guys do tend to look at it…" Amber wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "We both have a lot to get used to… but now that coffee and bacon sound good."

"Get dressed. We'll go see what Nathalie made for breakfast…"

-.-

"If I was him, I would wake up with three naked ladies every morning!"

"And I sure to hell wouldn't be shy about it!"

"Damn, I bet he gets a BJ everyday!"

"One? He probably has them lined up outside the arena, just waitin' to suck his cock!"

"He probably hasn't had to jerk it since he was five…"

Sid stood in the hallway outside the kitchen, listening to the conversation that was taking place between the construction crew. He wanted to tell the contractor that he was leaving, so he could finish his work in the master bathroom. _'If they only knew how pathetic I was…_' He thought to himself. The truth was that he had barely slept with anyone since… well… ever. Amber was now officially the most sex he had ever had. But if guys wanted to think he was a player, he wasn't about to stop them. Definitely better then the gossip about him not getting any… or being gay.

Sid decided that instead of waiting for them to change the subject, which may never happen, he would barge right in.

"Hey guys, is Vinnie around?" Sid stepped into the kitchen, quickly scanning the group of guys.

"No sir," One of the guys stepped forward. "I think he is outside, talking to the pool guys."

"Okay, uh… can you give him a message for me? I gotta get going. Can you just tell him that I left, so whatever you guys had to do in the master suite this morning, you can do now?" Sid tried to keep the embarrassment off his face but he could feel his cheeks heating up. He saw a couple of the guys snickering and the leader of the group shot them dirty looks, silencing them quickly.

"Sure we can do that… sorry about that this morning, you just aren't usually here…"

"Yeah, well, I think I'm going to be here more, so if you could maybe knock… that would be helpful."

"For sure. Sorry again. Has your hottie left too, or should we knock still?"

"My girlfriend," Sid stated defensively. He could let them think that he got his fair share, but he wouldn't let them think that she was anything less then a class act. "No, she is coming with me. And that _hottie_ will be in charge of the renos when I am not here, so I expect you to all be respectful."

The group exchanged nods and murmured their collective apologies. Sid walked out of the room and half debated waiting in the hall to see what they were about to say about him behind his back but thought better of it. He probably didn't want to know…

-.-

"Good morning," Sid said happily, walking into the Lemieux's kitchen, holding Amber's hand. Nathalie was standing at the counter, flipping through a newspaper, drinking a coffee and Mario was sitting in his usual spot at the breakfast table doing the same.

"I suppose you are here for breakfast?" Nathalie smiled. "I figured it wouldn't be too long before you were back! Coffee?"

"Oh yes please!" Amber said excitedly.

"Andy called… was wondering where you were…" Mario growled from the table.

"Yeah, I sent him a text. There was a situation at the house," Sid offered as an excuse.

"I'm sure there was…" Mario looked at him sceptically. "I hope you're not going to start missing training because of your new _'living arrangement.'_"

"Mario that is enough," Nathalie snapped at him.

"It was one morning…" Sid defended himself.

"You don't need to explain yourself to him," Nathalie said to him, handing him and Amber a cup of coffee. "He is just miserable this morning but he will snap out of it… Won't you Mario?"

Mario just grunted and went back to his paper.

"Go on and have a seat, I'll fix you two a plate," Nathalie said kindly. "What are your plans for today?"

"Not sure… I have a meeting at 11:00 and I should probably get some sort of a workout in this afternoon…" Sid said, looking to Mario for approval. "Not sure what you wanted to do…" He looked at Amber. "If you wanted to come to the arena, or I dunno, I didn't really think about it…"

"Well don't you worry about Amber, I can take her shopping, show her around a bit…" Nathalie offered. "And I am supposed to have lunch with a couple of the girls, so it might be nice for her to meet them."

Sid looked at Amber for approval. "Is that okay by you?"

"Ummm… yeah…" Amber shrugged.

"Then maybe I can drop her back off at the Arena and you guys can do whatever you want from there… after your work out and all?"

"Sounds great," Sid admitted. Leave it to Nathalie to organize his day better then he could. Nathalie walked to the table with two plates of warmed pancakes for Amber and him.

"Oh, before I forget I have something for you…" Sid said to Amber as dug into his wallet and pulled out a black American Express card. "This is for you to use, it's my account but it has your name on it, so there shouldn't be any problems with it."

"What? For real?"

"Yeah, here take it…" Sid forced it into her hands. "And I wouldn't worry about reaching the limit on that little bad boy either…"

"I can't take this…" Amber stuttered, pushing it back to Sid.

"Yes, you can," Sid insisted. "You're going to need to buy those towels we talked about last night, remember?"

Amber blushed and looked at the ground. Sid leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. "I told you there would be perks, didn't I?" he whispered. She looked up at him with a sideways smile, shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Sid sat back and smiled, then caught a glimpse of Mario starring at him, shaking his head. His jaw was clenched, like he was biting back an explosion. Sid knew better then to ask what his problem was. From their short conversation yesterday, he could only imagine that Mario didn't approve of what he just did.

"Well, it looks like we are going to have some fun shopping today?" Nathalie came over to the table and placed her hands firmly on her husband's shoulders, while smiling warmly at Amber.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

After breakfast, Amber had a shower and got dressed. She put on her freshly ironed shirt, a red sweater and a black pencil skirt. Nathalie looked like a Ralph Lauren model, even at breakfast and Amber felt she better start playing the part as well. She was going to have to re consider her wardrobe… she had brought mostly jeans and t shirts. She didn't think that she was going to have a purpose for her business attire while in Pittsburgh but she could already see she was sadly mistaken. She dug out a pair of shoes - her most comfortable heels - because she also suspected Nathalie didn't goof around when it came to shopping. _ "If I make it through today, I can make it through tomorrow,_" Amber repeated to herself in her head over and over. It had been a mantra she had passed down to quite a number of nervous junior hockey players. Her logic was that you should always expect today to be the hardest day of your life and power through, looking forward to an easier day tomorrow.

Sid greeted her in the kitchen, with his keys in his hand. He was in his penguins track suit, looking comfortable and relaxed, quite the opposite of her.

"I am going to go… if you need anything, call me," Sid said, leaning in for a good bye kiss, which Amber was much too happy to oblige. Mario and Nathalie were missing from the kitchen and she hadn't properly thanked him yet for the credit card. She had secretly hoped that he would have snuck into her shower but he has a good boy and followed the house rules. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in for his lips. She lingered there, softly touching the surface, making just the smallest motions to encourage further kissing.

"Do you know how much shit I would get, if I showed up at the arena with lipstick on?" Sid muttered into her mouth, as he pulled back. "I really need to get going. You are going to have a fantastic day."

Amber watched as Sid headed towards the front doors. Nathalie appeared soon after and asked if she was ready to go.

"I thought we could head to Ross Park Mall, it's the nicest mall, the higher end stores and such, and then I can show you a bit around downtown, 5th Ave mostly, on our way to the arena after lunch. We are having lunch downtown, so that works out. The best Macy's is on 5th… the one in the mall's not so bad but there is better selection at the downtown one… cute shoes… we'll take my car, the truck is a pain to park…" Amber listened to Nathalie ramble on, as she followed her out to the four car garage. There was no lack of selection of vehicles to choose from.

"When Sid first moved here, Mario drove him around everywhere because he couldn't decide on a car to buy himself. Poor guy didn't even have a bank account. He had this crappy two door Volkswagen thing his parents bought him for like five hundred bucks, and if you ask me they paid about five hundred too much. Mario wouldn't let him get caught dead in that thing!"

Amber just smiled as she sat in the passenger seat, watching the names of the streets go by. If she ever had to figure out how to get back here on her own, she was going to need to pay attention to where they were heading.

"So did you see the entire house? All the work he's doing? We told him he didn't have to rush to move out, so he's really getting everything done all at once… it will be so nice when it's finished but who knows whenever that will be…"

"Yeah, the house is gorgeous… Sid said I could hire a decorator to help get all the finishing stuff done… and he showed me the counter top choices he was debating between…"

"Did you pick one?"

"Yeah, the cream marble… the contractor said we should go to the storage facility and pick out the slab ourselves to get exactly the one we want… so we might do that tomorrow… "

"He has been debating that for weeks… I am sure he is driving his contractor nuts!"

"I guess I am a pretty good decision maker…"

"He is lucky to have you," Nathalie said warmly.

"I am guessing most people won't think that… that seems to include your husband…"

"Mario is protective. I told you that. He just wants to make sure that Sid is in good hands… he'll warm up to you," Nathalie reassured her in a matter of fact tone.

"I hope so… I know his opinion is really important to Sid."

"Don't worry too much about it. If you are here for the right reasons, which I am sensing you are, you'll have no reason to worry. If you're not, then you have certainly fooled me, and you deserve what comes to you. Sid loves you and that's all that should matter to you right now. You'll have plenty more to worry about soon enough…"

Amber sat quietly, looking at the woman driving the car. The last statement worried her. It seemed like Nathalie knew something and wasn't telling her. Amber knew her imagination could quickly get out of hand. What was she going to have to deal with?

"Care to elaborate?" Amber asked. "That makes me kinda nervous…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous… there will just be things that are going to come up that I doubt you and Sid have talked about or can anticipate…"

"That didn't really help…"

"Like the media… how do you two plan on breaking it to them? What level of availability are you going to have to them? How much are they going to be able to know about Sidney Crosby and his girlfriend? Have you talked to his publicist? Have you talked to a stylist about the image you are going to have to portray? You'll need to do some emergency planning, be trained on how to talk to the media… never mind what the league is going to say. They have a lot riding on Sidney and that pressure is going to transfer to you as well. Every time he misses a goal, it won't be his fault, it will be yours, at least for the first while. I am not trying to freak you out, just remind you that those things are coming up. You and Sid can only live in a bubble for so long."

"Did you have to go through it?" Amber asked.

"Not as much. The world was certainly different when my boy wonder came up to the league… the internet wasn't even a thing, never mind Facebook and twitter and Youtube videos of every indiscretion… We had already been dating too, so breaking it to the media was a non issue," Nathalie replied. "Sid's been single for a long time now; a lot of girls are going to be very disappointed. People are going to say things, untrue things, to try and break you up. Trust is going to be the most important thing. The world can be a really mean place."

"Right…"

"I think you should probably concentrate on winning over his family first. That will be your biggest hurdle. They get in tomorrow afternoon."

"Tomorrow afternoon? That's so soon…"

"Sid is not one for waiting… He seems to think that his parents will love you and there will be no problems but don't be fooled by his optimism. Trina has VERY high expectations for her son's partner and Troy can be a bit of an ass. Taylor is also somewhat opinionated; again it's an age thing. Her and Steph are pretty close… if you can win them over they would be huge allies. Perhaps it would help to have someone at dinner tomorrow night to talk you up… should we invite Max?"

"Um, no… probably not."

"Oh?"

"Max isn't really a fan of Sid and I dating…" Amber heard the words coming out of her mouth and knew she had to say something to wipe the suspicious look off of Nathalie's face. "It's just weird right now. He says it's like watching his sister date his best friend."

"Hmmm… I am sure it will all turn out."

-.-

"Good morning… it's awfully early don't you think?"

"_Whatever, it's not that early… So you met her? What is she like?" _

"I dunno…. She's nothing special… I am surprised actually."

"_She's not a bimbo though right?"_

"No, I guess not. She went to Carlton University… I guess that means something… I mean it's not Harvard but…"

"_But its better then some community college drop out…"_

"My dad wouldn't even let a drop out through the front door!"

"_What did your Dad think about her?"_

"I don't think he likes her. He didn't say a lot last night, but I heard my mom and him fighting about it."

"_My dad will probably hate her… and my mom certainly isn't going to be as nice as your mom…"_

"Yeah, she can be a little intense, hey?"

"_No kidding. I hope this girl knows that she isn't going to get an easy ride with my parents… speaking French won't mean shit to Troy and Trina… she is going to have to prove herself."_

"This is going to be hilarious! When do you guys get in?"

"_I think the plane lands tomorrow at, like, 4 something…" _

"So tomorrow's family dinner will be more entertaining then last nights? Thank god! It was a snooze fest!"

"_I can only imagine... you sent me like a thousand texts! Entertaining may not begin to describe it!"_

"Maybe my Dad will actually share his opinion with the class… oh and on another note, he got us ice time, so we can go and play… it might be fun…"

"_Think the new girl can play hockey?" _

"Ohhh… fun… we can terrorize her on the ice…"

"_Yeah! Let's do it! Sid definitely cares about having a girl who can keep up with him!"_

"Well then, it's a date…"

"_See you tomorrow."_

"Bye Tater."

"_Oh my God, don't call me that! If you call me that at Shattock I will die!" _

"No worries… Tater." And with that Steph hung up the phone and leaned back on her bed, laughing. Tomorrow was going to be a fun day…


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

Max slowly rolled out of bed, yawning and stretching. His head was pounding. He maybe had a few too many last night.

The same thing could be said of the night before and the night before that. Really every night since he got back to Pittsburgh.

He looked down at the bed behind him. There was a pair of legs sprawled out on the bed, twirled around a sheet that barely covered them. He searched his memory for the name of the girl those legs were attached to but came up blank. He didn't really care. She was just another piece of ass that he was filling his time with. She was clearly not that memorable…

He got up and picked up his robe off the floor, wrapped it around his body and headed to the bathroom. He leaned over the counter and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked rough. He looked like he looked after losing to Montreal in game seven, like he had been beaten from the inside. He knew he would have to snap out of it, he'd have to stop feeling sorry for himself. The guys would all start heading back for the season and he would be expected to be the Max they all knew - the happy, jolly Max full of fart jokes and dirty stories.

Looking back at the reflection it was hard to imagine that he could get back there. The things that normally made him happy were offering no relief. He tried to spend some time in Montreal with his family, after leaving the cabin, but being that close to her was hard, so he went on vacation. He took a couple buddies and headed to Bermuda. He banged everything that walked past him. He drank everything in sight. Nothing worked. Nothing cleared his mind. He went back home, knowing that she would be back in Ottawa, back at work, back to her regular life, but his mom and her mom kept whispering over the back fence and he couldn't handle it. So back to Pittsburgh it was. He figured he could through himself into his training, working out harder then ever before.

Of course that still left the nights when all he had to do was sit around and think. His trainer told him to take it easy but he couldn't get out of his head… so he drank. And he went to clubs. And he brought home random women, who he had no intention of getting to know. And he hated himself for it. All he wanted was Amber. Only she could make this better. She could save him and pull him out of this and make everything right again.

But he couldn't have her – not yet anyway. He had to keep reminding himself of that. '_In time'_, he thought to himself.

He walked back to the bed and looked at the girl lying there. Her long, brown, slightly curly hair fell over her face. If he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, it could be her – the scent was so close. Her body was similar to Amber's – slender but athletic, with curves in all the right places. Her boobs weren't the same though…

Max climbed back into the bed and ran his hand over her hair. It felt the same – soft and silky. He leaned down to her hair and pressed his face into it. It smelt like her too.

"Mmm… good morning sexy…" the girl responded to his touching her. Her voice was deep and husky. She certainly didn't sound like Amber but that was easily solved.

"Shhhh… don't talk," Max waived his hand in her face, then rolled her onto her stomach and kissed her back while climbing on top of her. If he couldn't have her, he could certainly try and pretend. He leaned back on his knees and forcefully pulled her ass up to his cock, planting it firmly into her tight entrance. She let out a moan that was too deep to be Amber.

"Shut the fuck up," Max hissed as he pounded his dick into her. Max continued to pound away, ignoring the protests from the receiver. He couldn't care less if she liked it. She was an idiot if she thought for a second that he was there to make her feel good. He closed his eyes and pretended it was Amber. Of course, he would never treat Amber like this. He would be gentle and passionate. Unless she wanted it rough, and then he would oblige.

Max wound up and slapped the make shift Amber's ass. At least he could get out his aggression now. Punish her for making him feel this way. Punish her for making him wait. He continued fucking the girl below him, feeling his anger growing within him. He felt himself getting close and pulled out of her wet hole, and blew his load over her ass. Then with a huff, he threw her down face first into the bed.

"You're a FUCKING ASSHOLE!" the name-less girl yelled up at him, surely trying to figure out how to get his cum off her ass...

"Whatever…" Max stood up and walked over to his laundry pile to pick up a pair of discarded boxers to wipe his cock off with. "I'm having a shower… when I get out, you need to be gone…"

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"Get out of my house," Max picked up a piece of her discarded clothing and threw it at her before turning back towards his bathroom. He hadn't told anyone what was going on in his head and he certainly wasn't about to start sharing with her.

-.-

"Rough night dude?" Kunitz asked as Max walked into the weight room.

"A bit…" Max admitted, leaning back on a weight machine.

"Maybe you need to slow down a bit. Training camp is around the corner," Kunitz reminded him.

"Training camp... whatever dude... They aren't going to send me back down. I'll be fine," Max retorted angrily.

"Maybe not but there are a lot of guys who would die for your ice time… being on the power play with Sid is a huge opportunity."

"Thanks Mom… maybe you should worry about yourself and leave me the fuck alone?"

"Wow, Jordan mentioned that you were a temperamental bitch this summer but I thought it was just his pain meds talking… you need to chill the fuck out…"

"I came here to work out, not get a lecture, so if you wouldn't mind…"

"Whatever man… I am clearly wasting my breath," Kunitz returned to concentrating on the stationary bike and let Max go back to being an ass.

Max zoned out on his weights, going through his routine as designed by his trainer. He was more determined then ever to be in top form for this season, to make up for his dismal production last year. His shoulder surgery had really set him back and this was a contract year for him, so if he had any chance of getting a good deal he had to be at the top of his game.

He was almost finished his circuit, when a couple of guys walked into the room, laughing and joking. Max grabbed his towel and water bottle, getting up to head to the showers. Normally he was the first to jump in with the guys joking around but his head was still pounding from this morning and he really just wanted to go home and have another drink to scare it away.

"Hey man, we are going to head onto the ice. Wanna come? Quick, friendly game?" Dupuis asked.

"No, I think I'll pass," Max shook his head while draining his water bottle. "I've got plans tonight, so I should get home... i might need a nap to prepare, if you know what i mean..." Max offered quickly, as several of his team mates looked at him in shock. He was always the first one to want to play but he just wasn't in the mood.

"Plans? Hot date? Does she have a sister?" Tanger asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly. Max shook his head, forcing Tanger to turn his attention to the rest of the group. "Hey Sid! Wanna come out tonight and help me get some girls?"

Max looked up and across the weight room to the wall where a group of the guys had formed. He hadn't even noticed that Sid was there. He hadn't seen him since coming back from Montreal. Honestly, he had changed his entire routine to avoid seeing him. Last year, it had always been him and Sid here first thing every morning working out together. They were both morning guys and creatures of habit. It hadn't been easy for Max to change his schedule but he knew that Sid never would. So unless he wanted to see him every morning a change was in order.

"No sorry dude… I got a hot date tonight," Sid offered to his eager teammate. Max hoped that Sid had caught the disapproving, if not flat out threatening, look on his face.

"Oh right, I am down another wingman aren't I? Fuck! Going with you always guaranteed me a lay! Hey, anybody up for a night out?" Tanger bellowed to the rest of the room.

Max quickly grabbed the rest of his things, hoping to get out of the locker room without having to talk to anyone else – especially not Sid.

"So this is how it's going to be eh?" He heard a familiar voice coming up behind him.

"What? You following me into the showers? I didn't think you swung that way?" Max retorted, trying to keep the atmosphere light. If Max was going to get what he wanted, he was going to have to put on the best act of his life.

"Funny. I think by now we both know that's not true," Sid chuckled. Max didn't laugh. "Sorry, too soon?"

"Yeah, too soon." Max watched Sid shift awkwardly.

"I just want things to be okay between us, especially in here. I understand that you probably don't want to be anywhere near me but it's important in here… the guys don't need to deal with our shit," Sid offered.

"Dude, I told you I was fine and I am but don't push it…"

"K, clear as mud." Sid nodded his head. "See you tomorrow?"

Max grunted his agreement and headed into the showers.

-.-

"Hey! How was your day?" Sid jumped up from his chair in the players lounge and wrapped his arms around Amber's waist, as she entered the room with Nathalie by her side.

"It was great… busy but fun…" Amber responded.

"Well, I guess my job here is done. I have delivered Amber scar free. Her first day as a WAG and she has escaped unharmed. Not all women can say that!" Nathalie joked. "I best be off. I better start dinner. Will you two be joining us?"

Sid shook his head. "We have reservations for dinner."

"Okay, well then we will see you when we do," Sid and Amber both thanked Nathalie for her hospitality, as she headed for the exit and then Sid returned to wrapping his arms around Amber.

"So really? You had a good day?"

"No… It was fucking hell! What the fuck am I doing here?" Amber dropped all her bags at Sid's feet and climbed into one of the bar stools, rested her forehead on the bar and wrapped her arms around her head and started to sob.

-.-

Max climbed out of the shower and towelled himself off. Considering it was his second shower of the day, he was surprised how very unclean he still felt. He headed into the expansive new dressing room and got dressed into the clothes that he had arrived at the arena in. They kinda smelt bad. He really needed to get a maid - or go shopping. Doing laundry never seemed to be a priority for him. It was easier to just buy new clothes. He tried to mask the funk by adding a couple extra squirts of his cologne but he doubted that that was going to fool anyone.

Max grabbed his bag and dug out a Gatorade, taking a quick drink. His stomach was growling and it was probably time to feed the beast. He hadn't wanted to add anything except coffee on his way to the rink, thinking that with the amount of undigested alcohol that probably remained in his system, whatever he added wouldn't have lasted long inside him anyway, so why waste the money? The training staff would kick his ass if they knew how bad he had been eating this summer.

He headed out of the dressing rooms and into the players lounge to see if their new team chef could whip him up something quick – and probably more nutritious then the beer, expired yogurt and mouldy cheese in his fridge.

As he entered the lounge, he quickly surveyed to see who else was in the room. The room was practically empty, except for a couple of the new guys up from Scranton and a trainer and – _'Oh shit,'_ Max thought to himself, as he recognized the head of hair at the counter. He was surprised to see her there, surprised that Sid had actually been able to convince her to come to Pittsburgh. When he had asked to her move here with them, she had flat out refused and Max remembered all the negative things she had to say about the 'Burgh. A part of him was pissed that she would come here for Sid but not for him, but being pissy about the situation wasn't going to get him anywhere. _'Okay man, play it cool – stick with the plan'_

"So you're actually in Pittsburgh? I never thought it would happen…" Max asked, walking up behind her. He watched as she slowly turned around in her chair. He was expecting to see a smile and her to jump to her feet and wrap her arms around him in a big bear hug, like she had done so many times in the past but as she turned to face him, there were streaks of tears mixed with mascara running down her face.

"What the fuck is going on?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

"Shhh… it's over now," Max ran his hand down the back of Amber's head, soothing her. It felt so good holding her, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. "I am sure they were just testing your limits… I hear they do that to all the new girls."

"I tried to act like their insults didn't bother me… Nathalie warned me that I would need to be strong but… but it was horrible and she didn't say anything to help… I really thought she would. I thought she was on my side," Amber buried her head further in Max's shoulder. "She practically threw me under the fucking bus!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to," Max offered, breathing in the scent of Amber's hair. Max knew he had an opportunity to make the situation seem worse then it was. It would be too easy to convince Amber it was going to get worse, that she would never be happy but he had to be careful. He wanted her in Pittsburgh, just not with her current companion.

"Every time I thought they were about to lay off, she would bring up another thing for them to attack me about… I don't get it…"

"I am sorry they were so awful to you… but I doubt its going to get any easier… being with Sid, you know, you're going to have to develop a thicker skin… people are going to say awful things, all the time…"

Amber sniffled and pulled back from Max's arms. "I know but Nathalie said that the WAGS stick together… I thought… I thought… I dunno what I thought…" Amber shook her head and stared at the floor, a small sob escaping from her shoulders, as another round of tears began to fall.

Max reached for a napkin from behind the counter and handed it to Amber. "Here, its better then your sleeve…" She promptly wiped her face and took a deep breath to calm herself. Max wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her back to him, encouraging her to lay her head on his shoulder. "I'll be here for you though, whatever you need, whenever you need it…" Max reached over and placed his hand under her chin, turning her face up to his. He could practically see his reflection in her crystal blue eyes, albeit tear soaked and red rimmed, they were still breathtakingly beautiful.

"Anything you need…" He felt her lips were pulling him in like a force stronger then gravity. Max leaned in till he was within inches of her lips. He could smell her breath. It was sweet smelling - she had had wine with lunch, he could tell. This was not part of his plan but he couldn't resist himself. He licked his lips in anticipation, tilted his head and went in for contact.

-.-

"I thought you said that you would take care of her? She is balling her face off!" Sid yelled across the room. After listening to Amber tell him about what had happened at lunch, he had stormed upstairs to his boss's new office to confront Nathalie. It was hard for him to believe that someone he knew to be so caring and so compassionate, could have done or even been apart of the situation that Amber described.

"You might not know it yet but they did you a huge favour… she had to hear it because she is _going_ to hear it. It might as well come from people who know you and love you… instead of all the people who don't, and there are _lots_ of those out there. She will be tougher for it. You'll see."

"Are you kidding me right now?"

"No Sidney, I'm not," Nathalie stated calmly but firmly, staring up at her husbands young protégé. He had every reason to be upset. The girls had been far from kind at lunch. At a couple points, she had wondered if they had gone too far but she reminded herself that the media wasn't going to let Amber off easy, so the closer to realistic they were the better.

"You're going to have to trust me…" Nathalie offered.

"Trust you? You just terrorized my girlfriend!"

"I will apologize, but she needs some time to reflect on it… she needs to get a lot tougher, if she can't handle four women, how is she going to handle four hundred, screaming horrible things at her? And don't for a second think that they won't be."

"It's her first day here…"

"That's why we thought we would get it over with…"

"You planned this?"

"Of course… I must say, it wasn't easy finding dirt on her… the girls really did their research. I think Michelle could make a living as a private detective and I didn't know that Vero could be so feisty," Nathalie chuckled to herself.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Sid ran his hands through his hair.

"You comfort her, make her feel better… geez Sid, you'd think you would be better with girls by now… I'll talk to her later."

"No, you'll talk to her now!" Sid demanded. "Before she changes her mind on being with me!"

"No I won't. I will talk to her later. You need to go and remind her why she is with you," She repeated firmly. "Besides, if it's that easy to scare her off, wouldn't you rather know now? Before its public and everyone watches you get dumped?" Nathalie offered. "You should be down there with her right now. Take her out tonight, somewhere really nice. Show her all the perks of being with you. She will get over it. If anything, it will prep her for dealing with your parents."

Sid stood silently, contemplating the plan that had just been laid out for him. He knew that he shouldn't be up here fighting with Nathalie, but downstairs sucking up to the only person that mattered to him right now. He just had to understand the situation.

Sid turned toward the door, then turned and faced Nathalie. "Do me a favour? In the future, could you let me know of any more of your little plans in advance? That way I can prepare for getting dumped…"

-.-

Sid stormed out of the Mario's office, slamming the door behind him. He was angry but it was more then that – he was scared too. What if she couldn't handle it? What if she didn't want too? It would devastate him to loose her now but it would be harder to loose her down the road. He hated what Nathalie and the girls had done to Amber but he also understood it.

He headed back down to the players lounge. He had every intention of following Nathalie's advice. His original plan of going shopping for some furniture now seemed somehow not good enough. He certainly didn't want to take Amber back to the Lemieux house in her current condition. He had to somehow make her feel better and build her confidence by tomorrow. Nathalie was right about that too – she was going to need to be at the top of her game for his family. The Amber he knew - the confident, secure Amber – was the Amber he wanted his parents to meet. It was shitty timing for the girls to have hazed her today. As if they couldn't have given her some time to get comfortable here…

Sid turned the corner into the lounge and came to an abrupt halt. '_That fucking bastard_," Sid thought to himself, watching the situation unfold in front of him, unable to move from his spot. He watched as if in slow motion, Max pull Amber to his lips. Amber turned her head and pushed him away, climbing out of her chair quickly. Max reached for her and her hand came up and contacted the side of Max's face, making a loud crack that seemed to echo throughout the room. She turned toward the door, where Sid was standing, watching. Seeing the fear in her eyes, Sid snapped out of his frozen state and walked towards her, quickly wrapping his arms around her. She buried her head into his chest and wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him like she was drowning.

"Are you okay?" Sid whispered into her hair and felt her nod against his shoulder. He looked across the room and caught the eye of Max, starring them down. He had never seen so much hatred in Max's eyes and felt that he himself must have had a similar level of hate pouring out of his. He pushed Amber back from his shoulder.

"Amber, why don't you head to my car? I'll be right out, I promise," Sid said calmly, handing Amber the keys to his car. "Just follow the signs to the parking garage, spot number 87."

"Of course…" Amber said quietly, taking the keys from Sid's hand. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and watched her head towards the entrance to the hallway.

As soon as she was out of ear shot, Sid turned toward his once trusted team mate. "Now I get it… every time I turn my back this is how its going to be isn't it?" Sid hissed.

Max held his ground, saying nothing nothing at first but clenching his jaw, squeezing his fists tightly, as if to hold himself back. "Someone has to be here for her… you left her down here crying."

"Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend! DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"FUCK YOU! Don't you fucking tell me what to do! She was MINE before she was EVER yours. I told you I would be here watching out for her… Every time you fuck up, I will be there… its just a matter of time before she realizes you're shit..."

"You said you were fine with Amber and me…"

"Yeah, you know why? Because it will never last… you're going to fuck it up… "

"NO! I love her and if everyone would just stay the FUCK OUT OF IT, we will be FINE!"

"Oh I doubt that, mon amie… Sidney Crosby only knows how to take care of Sidney Crosby… it's just a matter of time…"

Before Sid knew it, the loud crack in the room was his fist contacting the same section of Max's face Amber had slapped earlier.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

"So when will it be delivered?"

"In about two weeks," the sales man responded. "Our delivery department will contact you to set up a delivery day and time, probably tomorrow."

"Okay, great, thanks so much for your help," Sid shook the young man's hand and returned to where Amber was standing. "So at least we have bedroom furniture, that's something right?"

"Yeah I guess… I didn't think it would be such a process Mr. Picky," Amber teased, wrapping her arms around Sid's waist. "How much time do you plan on spending in this room?"

"Lots…" Sid softly grazed her lips. "I really liked that dining room table but I don't know if it's the right size... that room is huge. I don't know where we can even find a table big enough. I guess we better decide on a decorator. I have a couple of numbers, if you wanted to call and set up appointments. I don't really know how it works…"

"Yeah, I can call. I had talked to Nathalie about the process a bit and she said she'd help but now I don't know…" Amber looked down at the ground.

"I'm sure she'll help…" Sid said softly, watching Amber shake her head. "Hey, come on, I thought we decided we weren't going to think about it right now? Shopping equals happy, remember?" Sid placed his hands on her cheeks and turned his face up to hers, brushing her bangs to the side. Amber rolled her eyes at him and his shallow attempt at cheering her up. She was trying to put it out of her mind and concentrate on the afternoon activities that Sid had planned out.

"So Bed, Bath and Beyond? If we are going to live in that house, we are going to need some stuff…" Amber turned away from Sid's grasp.

"Oh God… I think I have stayed with Mario this long because I dread going to stores like that…"

"Come on, it could be fun… Shopping equals happy, right?"

Sid smiled and shook his head. "Shouldn't we make a list? Or have a plan? I can't really just walk around a lot… it always ends up with girls screaming and people pointing… I always end up running away…"

"Well don't worry. I will protect you from the big bad teenage girls and scary soccer moms. But I am not drip drying after my shower, nor am I sharing a spoon with you... seriously, who only buys one spoon?"

"I only needed one spoon… I'll let you use the spoon first…" Sid offered as a compromise. He hadn't really thought through the negative side effects of this shopping plan.

"NO! We are going to buy spoons… and bowls… and maybe a plate or _two_…"

"You're so mean!" Sid teased as he opened the door for her.

"You're right. The big bully is making you grow up!" Amber poked him in the ribs, laughing.

"If it makes you smile like that, I guess I'll do it…"

"Shopping equals happy."

-.-

Amber woke up and rolled over, looking at the empty space beside her. Sid had left early this morning to meet with his trainer. He said he would be back before lunch, but Amber had barely listened and just rolled over and went back to sleep. The previous day had been a long one and had taken a toll on her physically, mentally and emotionally. She had a sneaking suspicion that Sid would have let her buy just about anything yesterday. If she had wanted dinner plates with farm animals wearing tootoos, he probably wouldn't have said no. He may have accidentally dropped them, then jumped on them ten times in the parking lot, but he wouldn't have said no.

They had bought quite a bit yesterday. Nowhere near enough to make even a small dent in the ridiculous list that Sid has insisted on making, but enough that they could live in the house without running back to the Lemieux's house every morning. Amber's job for the day, as assigned by Sid, was to make a grocery list. The plan was to use the basement kitchen for the time being. Sid decided that by being around more, it would put more pressure on the construction crew to finish. Amber had a sneaking suspicion, after watching Sid hum and ha over every little purchase – from face cloths to veggie peelers – that it wasn't the construction crew's fault on their inability to get anything finished… so much as someone's inability to make a decision and then change his mind a hundred times.

Amber got up and climbed out of bed, searching the floor for something to wear. She didn't have much by the way of clothes at this house, as most were still in her designated room at the Lemieux's, so she would have to settle for something of Sid's. In the late night acrobatics which had occurred when they got home last night, the suitcase Sid was living out of had been up-ended and several articles of clothing kicked across the floor. Amber smiled and chewed on her bottom lip, remembering the exact moment when that had happened. Sid had picked her up over his shoulder and carried her to the bedroom. He tossed her down on the bed, like a doll, smiling down at her with a mischievous look in his eyes. She had tried to escape, playing a little hard to get but clearly there was no real challenge – she certainly wasn't going to say no. Dinner had felt like one long foreplay session. They had already christened the family room and stair case leading to the second floor, since getting home. Amber thought that by the time they made it to the bedroom, Sid would have been exhausted but she soon realized that Sid had an insatiable appetite. All their other times together, there had only ever been time for a single session, so Amber had never experienced this side of him – but she liked it.

Amber fumbled into a pair of sweats and found a baggy t shirt of Sid's to slip over her head. She slowly headed down the stairs to the main floor, smiling again as she recalled some of her more impressive moves, sprawled out across the landing last night. She walked into the living room, where they had dumped all their bags when they had come home. She began digging for the coffee maker that she had insisted on getting and the small bag of coffee grounds from Starbucks. There were easily twenty bags, and some had smaller bags tucked into them, so it was far from an easy task. She made quite a mess in the heap of bags with stuff spilling out everywhere, their new towels were mixing with the thin air of sawdust and a dress that she had bought with Nathalie for dinner tonight was getting dirty.

"Looks like you're settling in… You haven't run away screaming yet?" Amber heard a familiar voice behind her. This was not what she wanted to deal with before having a coffee and she still hadn't found the Starbucks bag. She slowly turned around to face Nathalie in the door way, gently moving bags out of her way so she could stand up without tripping.

"Yeah, well, that wasn't really an option…" Amber retorted sharply, raising to her feet. Nathalie was holding two coffee mugs in her hands.

"Good to know. I thought you might need this…" Nathalie extended one of the mugs towards her.

"Thanks but I'm good. We bought a coffee maker yesterday, so as soon as I find it, I can make my own," Amber defiantly crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't be a bitch. It's not going to get you anywhere," Nathalie warned. "Take the coffee."

Amber grit her teeth and kept her arms crossed in front of her. "I am just trying to fit in."

"You learn quick," Nathalie smiled. "The girls will be much nicer next time."

"Well they couldn't get much worse."

"Yes they can. You just haven't done anything to piss them off. And if you thought that they were bad, you better think again. Other women will be much worse. We were just trying to prepare you, give you a dose of reality."

"Oh, you thought you were helping me? I suppose you want a thank-you then?"

"No, I certainly don't expect that and I don't expect you to see that we were helping but in time you will. I sincerely want the best for you and Sid but its not going to be all roses and champagne and the sooner you figure that out the better," Nathalie offered in explanation.

"I am not some deluded teenager. I am not some stupid puck fuck. I get it, okay? I have lived in the hockey world my entire life. I know what they are going to say because I would probably say it too… but I am here. Despite all the shit I know I am going to take, I am here. Despite the fact the no one thinks I belong here or I'm not good enough,_ I am here_. So I don't need any more of your fucking tests or your so-called help because I can handle it, okay?"

"Would you have said that to me yesterday?"

"What?" Amber hissed.

"Would you have had the confidence to say that to me yesterday?"

"Confidence has nothing to do with this."

"Yes it does. You were nervous and uncomfortable yesterday. You took it from those women, barely standing up for yourself. You wouldn't have said boo to me yesterday. This is the Amber we need to see, the one that needs to face Michelle and Vero next time. This is the Amber that needs to face Sid's parents. This is the Amber that Sid fell for, the reason you are here, the reason that you belong here," Nathalie explained.

Amber stood silently facing the woman in front of her, gritting her teeth. It was true that the she hadn't felt like herself yesterday. She was normally a confident person, who prided herself on not taking shit from anyone. Why she had backed down yesterday was beyond her. When she had talked to Max yesterday, he had been shocked that she had taken it from them. It was truly uncharacteristic of her. Maybe Nathalie, as much as she hated to admit it, and probably never would out loud, was right.

"I do belong here and I'm not going anywhere," Amber extended her arm. "And I'll take that coffee now."

"That 'a girl…" Nathalie smiled warmly, handing the coffee over. "So what can I help with today?"

Amber let out a deep sigh. "I don't even know where to start!"

-.-

Again with the lists. Sid stared down at the pile of papers in front of him. Amber and Nathalie, who had clearly made up from yesterday's situation while he was away, had set up a make-shift office in the corner of what would become the living room, and gone room by room, floor by floor, making lists of everything that needed to get done. Amber had talked to the contractor and received a list of tasks that Sid had given him and Nathalie had called in an emergency consultation with her decorator. When Sid returned home from his workout, the house had more people in it then ever before and it had taken some time for him to locate the girls. Amber quickly filled him in on the plans and then all but brushed him aside. Sid knew well enough to stay out of it. He was just glad to have someone else around who could take care of these details so he could concentrate on his training. He figured the safest place for him was out of the way – so he took the opportunity to hide in the basement and play video games.

"So this is where you're hiding?" Amber came down and plopped beside him on the couch.

"I'm not hiding… just staying out of the way…If you need me to do anything… just let me know but otherwise I'll be here…"

"Actually I do need you to do something…"

"Damn."

"Hey! You just said…"

"I know! I'm just kidding…" Sid paused his game, even though he was winning. "What's up?"

"There are some tile samples we need to look at and then we need to go pick the counter top. I talked to the contractor and made a few changes in the kitchen, I hope you don't mind…"

"Nope, not at all… I certainly don't cook…"

"Danielle – the decorator – is coming back tomorrow with some plans for some of the rooms. I told her that we needed the main floor done ASAP because Nathalie said you wanted to host some kind of party before the season starts…"

"Yeah, that would be great…"

"She called this design store, that you need an appointment to go to and made us an appointment for this afternoon. She said to go and look around and make a list of stuff we like and then we can base the design from that… She said that that is where we will find the dining room table the size we need for that room…"

"Great…" Sid listened to Amber explain the rest of the plans and for the first time since he had taken possession of the house a couple months ago, he felt like something was getting done. There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

"You don't care do you?" Amber poked him in the ribs.

"I do… I'm listening… I swear!" He laughed as she looked at him with a pout on her face. It reminded him of a look his mother had given his father on a fairly regular basis when he was growing up.

"Come here," Sod insisted, pulling Amber across the couch to him. "I am just happy things are getting done! I needed you to make my house a home…" he added, kissing her cheek.

"You are okay with running errands then?" Amber asked.

"As long as we don't have to go back to the bath store! I don't think I can take that again…" Sid agreed.

"Yeah, that was intense… I'll leave you at home next time…" Amber teased him. "Nathalie went home to make the kids lunch and then start dinner. She wanted to know if you were going to pick up your parents or if she should… you need to call her and then we can get going."

"So I am guessing that you two made up?" Sid asked innocently.

"I've never met a woman so happy when I told her off…" Amber admitted.

"You told off Nathalie Lemieux? Are you kidding?" Sid asked, shocked.

"I guess I got a little confidence…"

"Funny, that's what she said you needed yesterday…"

"Yeah, she said it was some kind of plan… evil plan if you ask me…"

"But it worked… you're clearly back to your regular self today… It's a bit of a turn on…" Sid kissed her ear lobe and down the side of her neck.

"Sid…" Amber moaned.

"What?" he moaned into her hair.

"We have sooooo much to do…"

"This is important to…" he said while running his hand up under her shirt, cupping her breast.

"No! We have to go…" Amber stood up beside the couch and straightened her shirt. "Later. I promise."

"I am holding you to that! Even if my parents piss you off!"

Amber laughed. "You might have to kiss my ego better again tonight…

"Or take you shopping again… apparently that works too…"

"If you take me shopping every time someone hurts my feelings, you're going to go broke!"

"I'll do whatever it takes… I can always make more money…"

"Let's go then… the contractor called me a bitch under his breath earlier, so I guess that's my excuse to shop…" Amber teased. Sid laughed and watched her barrel up the stairs, following close behind.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

As many times as she had been to Pittsburgh, Trina still hated it. Why her son couldn't have been drafted by a Canadian team was beyond her. It would have made her life so much easier. It would have saved her from having to be padded down by security every time she wanted to visit, that's for sure.

"There's nothing there boys, keep moving!" Trina complained to the border security officer.

"Mom relax, they are just doing their jobs. You are so embarrassing!" Taylor stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for her mom.

"Oh enough! Where did your father go?"

"I don't know, he probably wandered off… he always wants to get a good spot, even in the lounge, like it matters! We are going to be here for like two minutes!"

"Whatever… is it worth complaining about? No, so move on…"

"Is it worth complaining about airport security? No… so move on…"

"Don't sass me young lady… my nerves are bad enough right now…"

"Why? Because of Sid's girlfriend?"

"No... Not because of Sid's girlfriend… I just… I just… don't like to fly." Trina heard the lie escape from her lips, and instantly felt bad. She was far from excited about meeting her son's first real girl friend. She was sure that he must have dated some girls here and there, but none had ever been serious enough to want to introduce to the family. She was exceptionally anxious about the whole scenario.

"Oh come on Mom, admit it! You already don't like her and you haven't even met her…"

"No, I am keeping an open mind."

"Liar."

"Nathalie said she is very sweet." It was true, Nathalie and Trina has talked yesterday and she had had nothing but lovely things to say about Sid's choice.

"Nathalie thinks Lindsay Lohan must be a _nice girl_. She wouldn't say anything nasty about anyone."

"Taylor that's enough. We are going to be nice."

"Maybe you are…" Taylor slung her bag over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"Taylor Crosby! This girl means something to your brother and we are going to be respectful of that."

"You assume I'm the one who is going to be mean to her? I would be more concerned about your _husband_."

"Your _father_ has promised to be on his best behaviour and I expect the same from you."

"Fine, whatever. I'm going to go find Dad…"

Trina watched her daughter stride away to the waiting lounge and took a deep breath. She truly was going to try to be nice to her son's new friend. Well, at least she wasn't going to go out of the way to be mean to her…

-.-

"Grab your bag, you're brother is waiting," Troy stated, adjusting his ball cap.

"I doubt he's here… he probably just sent a car service… he's probably busy with his new girlfriend," Taylor argued back.

"That's enough. Your brother is busy. If he sent a car service, that's fine too," Troy cut her off. He didn't listen to criticism of his son from anybody, not even his daughter. Troy walked out to the main concourse where he was expecting to see a chauffeured driver holding a sign with their name on it. It was standard practice now and he was perfectly fine with it. He understood the obligations his son dealt with and for that he didn't envy him – but really only that. He would trade anything to live a day in the life of his son but instead he just lived with the benefits of having him. He scanned the crowd for the familiar sight but instead found his son, standing, leaning against a pillar busily texting.

"See," he turned to his daughter. "Your brother is never too busy for family."

"He's just buttering us up so we're nice to his girlfriend," Taylor muttered under her breath. Troy flashed her an angry look, warning her that she was skating on thin ice before greeting his son with a bear hug.

"So where is she? You didn't bring her with you?" Troy asked with genuine interest.

"No, she's helping Nathalie with dinner. I thought I would come get you guys on my own… I didn't think this would be the best place, if there was press or anything, you know…"

"Right, well we are very excited to meet her… _all_ of us…" Troy shot her daughter a look and Taylor rolled her eyes.

"What was that look for?" Sid asked.

'_Damn kid never missed a thing,_' Troy thought to himself. "It was nothing. You're sister is just being a teenager."

"You better not pull anything tonight…" Sid warned her.

"Well hello to you too…" Taylor snapped back.

"I am dead serious," Sid reached out to hug his sister. "She has been through enough hazing already, I don't need any more reasons for her to… anyways… we should get going…"

"I can't wait to see the house… your dad said you were having the pool dug out…" Trina looped her arm through her son's and headed toward the airport exit. Troy watched as this family headed out and smiled to himself. He was eager to see his son happy and eager to make sure it was with someone up to his standards.

-.-

Amber listened from the kitchen as Nathalie greeted the Crosby family. She bit her bottom lip and looked around, as if she was looking for something to hide behind. She wasn't sure if she should have gone to the front entrance to greet Sid's parents there, or if she should wait and let him bring them to her, or...

"Wanna colour with me?" Alexi asked from the breakfast table.

"I sure do…" Amber looked over at the young girl, contently colouring a map of the world. "Is there any special instructions?"

"Countries that were run by the British need to be red," she explained handing Amber a red marker. "It's going to take forever to colour Canada… that's why I started with the little countries…"

"Well, I can start with Canada," Amber offered, getting to work with her red crayon. Alexi rambled on about what she was learning in school, about different countries around the world, excited to have someone to talk to.

"Have you been to any of these countries?" Alexi asked.

Amber looked down at the map and pointed out all the countries that she had traveled to with work. It was an impressive list, especially to a nine year old.

"We went here on vacation last summer…" She continued on, pointing at a Caribbean island. "It smelt funny… Lauren got a sunburn and couldn't sit back on the plane ride home… mom said it suited her right for wearing such a teeny bikini."

"Well I hate to interrupt the arts and crafts session of today but…" Amber looked up to see Nathalie, standing in the kitchen beside a much shorter woman with a far less happy expression on her face. "Amber this is Sid's mom Trina, Trina this is Amber."

Amber stood up and walked over to where the women were standing. "Hi," She extended her hand towards Trina who cautiously extended it back.

"Colouring, are we?" Trina asked, and maybe Amber was being a little over sensitive but she thought she heard the faint hint of condescending in the tone.

"Um… yeah. I have been put in charge of colouring Canada," Amber offered.

"She's helping me with my project Mom!" Alexi yelled from the table.

"Well that's very nice of her, but you need to go get cleaned up for dinner," Nathalie instructed her.

"K! Will you help me later Amber?"

"Maybe, depends on time, okay?" Amber offered.

Alexi quickly bundled up her papers and rolled up her big map, then ran down the hall, leaving Amber alone with the two women.

"Would you like some tea, Trina?" Nathalie offered. "We could go sit outside… It's still pretty nice out."

"That sounds lovely," Trina agreed. "So Amber, Nathalie tells me you are helping Sid get his house in order. That's very nice of you."

"Ummm yeah, it's quite a project," Amber agreed quietly. Nathalie walked behind her and pulled her shoulders back, signaling her to remember the confident Amber that was inside.

"We met with a decorator this morning," Nathalie offered, as an ice breaker. "Did you and Sid make it to that store this afternoon?"

"Yes, we did." Amber responded with a more confident tone, trying to keep what Nathalie had told her earlier about confidence in mind. It wasn't easy as Trina was giving her looks that could freeze a volcano."I think we found a dining room table to fit that huge room. I think those built in cabinets that the contractor suggested will go really well with the table. Of course, we'll have to get something to fill all the shelves and Sid's afraid that means more shopping… after the ordeal at Bed, Bath and Beyond, I might leave him behind."

"Ordeal?" Trina asked sharply.

"It took him like a half an hour to decide on a face cloth… I ended up just picking one and putting it in the cart," Amber sighed. Nathalie laughed but Trina kept the same icy expression on her face.

"Well it is his house _darling_," Trina offered in defense of her son. "If he wants to be picky, he can."

"I just want to be able to wake up, have a shower and reach for a towel… I don't care what colour it is, what brand, or whatever…" Amber laughed uncomfortably.

"Reach for a towel? Why would you... oh... I was unaware that you were living there," Trina stood up straight and clenched her jaw. "You'll have to excuse me for a minute."

Amber watched with wide eyes as Sid's mom, quickly left the kitchen, then turned and stared at Nathalie, who had an equally shocked look on her face.

"I didn't know he didn't tell her…" Amber confessed in a panic.

"I didn't either… I am sure it will be fine…" Nathalie tried to reassure her. "If not, I'll mix some whiskey in with her tea. That'll help!"

-.-

"Sidney Patrick Crosby!"

Sid could hear his mom yelling from the door step of the house. She sounded pissed. He looked at his dad for assistance.

"That didn't take long… I thought she'd at least make it through dinner…" Troy laughed, putting up his hands in defeat. "Everyone thought it was going to be me that gave your girl a hard time but i should warn you... your mom is not handling this well..."

"Thanks for the warning..."Sid watched as his mom stomped over to the concrete shooting area that the boys had gathered around. Ever since he had arrived in Pittsburgh for the very first time after the draft, this was always the place that everyone seemed to gravitate towards. It was neutral territory. It helped ease everyone into conversation. Now it was like a tradition. When his family arrived, they all went and did some shooting drills and then went inside. His mom, of course, had been eager to meet Amber, so she went straight into the house but it hadn't taken her long to come back out here.

"You're living with her?" His mom yelled, stomping right up to him. "Why didn't you tell us?" his sister and Austin had stopped practicing and stood together watching the impending theatrics.

"I thought I had mentioned it…" Sid lied, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. In reality, he just hadn't quite gotten up the nerve to break that to his parents yet.

"You thought you had, had you? Really? Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

"Trina… calm down…" Troy reached out and put his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"Calm down? Really? Our son is taking a huge step with a girl we've never even met… he couldn't even tell us the _truth_ about her and you want me to calm down. I will NOT!"

"I have told you the truth about her mom. Where did you think she was going to live when she moved here?"

"In a place of her own… "

"She moved here to be with me, not for me to get her some crappy apartment."

"She could get her _OWN_ apartment."

"No, mom… you're being ridiculous right now…"

"Oh, silly me, thinking my son was smart enough to see some gold digger when he saw one."

"Oh my GOD! That's enough mom. You sound just like Mario. You don't even know her…"

"Neither do you."

"YES, I do! Why does everyone keep saying that?" Sid could feel his blood pressure rising. He was tired of everyone saying the same thing about Amber – they had no freakin clue! "I KNOW HER! She's not some girl I picked up on the street corner, she's not some puck fuck and she is certainly not a fucking GOLD DIGGER! So deal with it!" Sid threw his hockey stick to the ground and stormed off. He was so fucking tired of people treating him like he was a fucking idiot. He knew what he was doing!

"Don't you storm away on me young man!" Trina yelled after him, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'll do what I want!" Sid yelled back at her.

"Sidney STOP!" Troy bellowed after his son. Sid stopped in his tracks and grit his teeth, turning back to his parents. This was not how he wanted things to go but he should have expected it. Protective was putting it lightly when it came to his parents.

"I didn't invite you here for your permission to be with her. I invited you here to meet the woman I have chosen to be with. It's not your decision to make," Sid growled.

"I think we can all agree that this is quite a shock and that we will need some time to process it…" Troy offered, trying to extinguish the brewing situation.

"I don't need time…" Trina began, before being cut off by her husband.

"We ALL need to take a moment…" Troy was not used to be being the voice of reason but he knew the Sid and Trina were the two most stubborn people on the planet and nothing would get done while they were upset. "Trin, maybe you should go lie down…"

"I'm fine." Trina glared at her husband, who glared right back, holding his ground. It was a battle of stubbornness now, who would back down first?

"Go lie down and I'll bring you up a cup of tea," Troy offered in a much softer voice. Sid watched as his father 'handled' his mother, much the same way as coaches used to handle him when he was younger… it was actually kind of amusing. His mother finally broke from her stance and began her stomp back to the house, not looking at her son.

"Well it looks like you've got yourself a challenge now…" Troy laughed, looking at his son, who was still clenching his jaw.

"I didn't think it would be such a big deal…" Sid began.

"Sure you did. You just hoped that your mother would have been sedated with a couple of drinks in her by the time she found out."

Sid shook his head in frustration. He hated that his dad was right. He also knew that Amber had the smallest hope in hell of winning over his mother now. The only chance of approval would come if she could win over his father. If his father liked her, he could make his mom come around. The chance of that was also slim unless Sid could keep his father away from Mario, so the two of them couldn't talk about her. Mario could convince his father of anything. This was becoming a freaking nightmare.

"Wanna go see the house? Amber and I have made some plans for it, we could show you…" Sid asked his dad, knowing that that would be the best plan for the time being. He didn't think dinner would be ready for a while and maybe, just maybe, this would be a good time for Troy to get to know Amber, without anyone else around.

"I have to bring your mom a cup of tea… calm her before dinner… but otherwise, I see no problem with that."

"Good, I'll grab Amber and we'll meet you at the front door."

-.-

Taylor watched as her dad and brother walked back towards the house and quickly pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?" Austin asked, handling the puck around his feet.

"Texting your sister… she is missing the fun!"

"What fun?"

"Duh… my mom is going to eat Sid's girlfriend for dinner! It's been a while since she has yelled at him like that!"

"I get yelled at all the time…"

"That's because you're an idiot… Sid's the golden child that can do no wrong. It's kinda refreshing to be the one not giving my parents a hard time," Taylor admitted, quickly typing into her keyboard.

"Yeah, I think my dad's mad at him too… I guess there is a first time for everything…" Austin shrugged and shot the puck at the net.

"That doesn't count as a goal, if I'm over here…" Taylor pointed out. "I think dinner is going to be interesting…"

Austin shrugged again.

Taylor pressed send on her message _"You are missing the first round of fireworks! Get home now!"_ and tucked her phone into her back pocket.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"You didn't tell them?" Amber pushed Sid into the wall. "Seriously! Do you want them to hate me? What's wrong with you?"

"I didn't know how… I didn't think it would be the first thing we talked about," Sid shrugged. "I'm sorry… I thought you would win them over before I told them that."

"Fat chance of that now! You're mom hates me!"

"She doesn't hate _you_… she just… hates the_ idea_ of you…" Sid offered, as if that somehow made it better.

"Oh, well then, I guess I should be relieved…" Amber added sarcastically, pushing Sid again.

"Hey, come on, it'll be fine…"

"Yeah right!" Amber shook her head. She knew damn well that things weren't going to be fine. She saw that look in Trina's eyes… and then the whole neighbourhood heard her scream his name across the front yard.

"Come on," Sid offered, grabbing her hand. "You'll win over my dad… we'll go show him the house, we'll talk about hockey, he'll see how perfect you are for me and then he'll work on my mom. It'll all work out."

"What if it doesn't? What if I don't win over your dad?"

"You will. And it doesn't matter anyway. I have made my decision… what they say, doesn't matter to me…" Sid took her face in his hands and softly kissed her.

"Don't do that, don't be all sweet… I'm mad at you…" Amber murmured with her eyes shut, leaning into Sid for another kiss.

"You're not very good at being mad a me…" Sid whispered, kissing her softly again.

"I have a feeling I am going to get a lot of practice…" Amber shook her head.

"Yeah probably…"

-.-

Troy watched and listened as his son and his companion showed him around the house. A lot of changes were taking place in his son's life, all at the same time, and he was worried that Sid wasn't going to be able to handle them. Sid wasn't exactly the most adaptable guy, never really handled change well and always had a meticulously set schedule. When things veered off schedule, Sid didn't usually do well. With the new arena, new house and now a girl thrown in the mix, Troy was worried about the up coming season. He knew that last season was possibly the best of Sid's career, even though it hadn't exactly ended the way he wanted. He wanted his son to be able to build off that success and stay focused… something that didn't seem likely now. He was used to his son talking about nothing but hockey but since Troy had arrived in Pittsburgh the topic had yet to come up. He had talked about the house, the arena, Amber this and Amber that, a couple of stories from the summer, an endorsement deal but no hockey… it was more then a little concerning.

Sure he could understand where the distraction was coming from. Amber was pretty, something he would have found himself turning his head for in his day - his son had certainly chosen well. Nice face, good body, great rack and she seemed fairly intelligent. Sid had mentioned that she had worked for Hockey Canada when he had been back home, so it seemed like she met all criteria for a good fit. It was just poor timing really.

"Then we had talked about fixing the windows in this room, I know Mom really likes this room, so…" Sid explained to his dad, pointing out the window to the backyard. Troy watched as his son narrowed his eyes, focusing on something he clearly didn't like out the window. "Can you excuse me for a minute? I'm going to go check with Vinnie…"

Sid disappeared out of the room, leaving Troy alone with Amber.

"So… tell me, Sid wasn't really clear, how did you two meet?"

"Umm… we met at the Olympic training camp, last year… and then we worked together through the Olympics…"

"Oh, right he did mention that… Why were you there, again?"

"I handled the teams scheduling and a couple other tasks… assistant to the manager."

"Well then, I should apologize. I am sure Sid's schedule was far from easy to handle."

"Yeah… it was a bit of a challenge. I am sure his schedule for this year is going to be far worse. The meetings, the endorsement obligations, I still don't know his team schedule. He's kind of easing me into it. Not sure if it's because he doesn't want to loose me as a girlfriend or a manager," Amber laughed.

"A manager? You are going to be his manager?" Troy asked, trying to contain his shock but clearly not doing a good enough job.

"Oh fuck… he didn't tell you that either?" Amber's looked at Troy, her eyes as wide as plates. "Seriously, what is his problem?"

"I'm sure he was going to… I'm sure he was going to tell me in his own way," He was upset, he couldn't hide it. He had been his son's manager his whole life. That had been his whole concentration since Sid was old enough to skate and now he was being replaced by some girl… just like that. "I'm sure he'll explain when he comes back in…"

Troy left the small sitting room and wandered around the large open space, which was designated as a family room that would soon be full of furniture and bustling with people. It was currently filled with contractor's tools and boxes of hardwood floors, waiting to be installed. He just needed a minute to breath before facing his son. After all that he had scarified for his son, all he expected was to be treated with some respect, was that really too much to ask for?

Sid walked in the back door. "Now I understand why it's taking them so long. We were here for what, 10 minutes? and I watched them take two breaks… like, is it unreasonable for me to expect that they will actually do a little work in a day?"

Troy nodded in agreement, not trusting himself to say anything just yet.

"Did you talk to Amber? Where is she? What do you think of her?"

"She seems perfect for you…"

"Really? You think so?" Sid could barely contain his excitement. "I mean, I think so too, so I am glad that someone agrees… It hasn't exactly been easy…"

"What dating her or hiring her as your manager?"

"What? How did you…?"

"She mentioned it… when were you going to say something?" Troy asked, trying to mask his emotions.

"I was going to talk to you… I've had some pressure from the league and from Pat to hire a real manager…"

"And you think she is a_ real_ manager?"

"Well she has experience with it and with my schedule and she knows the league and a lot of guys wives are their managers, so I just thought it made sense…"

"Wife?" Troy asked in shock.

"Or girlfriends, whatever Dad, that's not the point…" Sid quickly covered up his slip of the tongue. "And you know, Moms always complaining that you are never home and now with Taylor heading off to school, she's going to be alone and she isn't going to deal with that well, so now you can spend more time with her…" Troy listened as his son continued to list all the reasons why Amber made more sense then him, but it didn't stop him from being upset.

"We should have talked about this before you made such a big decision…" Troy offered to his son.

"Like I should have talked about Amber moving in here?" Sid asked. "I can make my own decisions… I don't need you and Mom to hold my hand through life…"

"I know that… but you're our son and we worry… we are allowed to worry."

"You don't need to worry. I've got this one figured out. I am sorry I didn't tell you about her but I was going to… I just kinda wanted you and mom to like her first."

"Well, I look forward to getting to know her but is there anything else you need to tell us about her? I don't know if we can handle another blow..." Troy asked.

-.-

Amber walked slowly behind Troy and Sid as they climbed back into the Range Rover to head back for dinner. Troy hadn't said anything to her since leaving the sitting room. Sid barely had either, but that suited her just fine. Not telling her dad about her as his manager was the second screw up of the day, both of which left her in awkward positions. _"One family member left to piss off and I'll be done for the day and I can bury my head in the sand," _Amber thought to herself. The idea of heading back to Montreal, and hiding from the whole situation, was all to appealing right now.

Amber sat quietly in the back seat as Sid drove back to the Lemieux's. He pulled up into the drive way and his dad jumped out of the car quickly, excusing himself to go and check on Trina. Amber climbed out slowly, carefully avoiding the looks from the group of teenagers standing around the shooting area just off of the driveway. Sid appeared at the side of the car and offered her his hand in assistance out of the car. Amber shook her head and climbed out on her own.

"Listen, I know you're pissed and I am sorry… _again_… I didn't want to tell him just yet…"

"You should have told me that… If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything!" Amber glared at him. "I swear, I think you are trying to make this difficult!"

"I'm not… I'm just… an idiot… and I am not used to having to worry about anyone else… if I didn't tell my parents something, it only ever affected me. I'll get better, it's just a pretty steep learning curve here," Sid pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her. "I am so unbelievably sorry… I'll make it up to you."

"At this rate, you aren't going to have enough hours in the day to make things up to me…" Amber sighed and leaned her forehead on Sid's shoulder

Sid smiled and kissed the top of her head. "The good thing is that my dad seems to like you…"

"Really that's not quite the vibe I got…"

"He said he is looking forward to getting to know you better," Sid offered. "So now there is just my sister… and I don't have any secrets from her, so I think we are clear and free…"

"Oh yeah, teenage girls are so easy to win over…" Amber moaned.

"She's not that bad…"

"She has been glaring at me since I got out of the car…"

"Oh… well good luck with that then," Sid laughed and jumped back. "I'll be inside looking for the first aid kit… and a cloth to clean up the blood."

"Funny! Nice try Crosby!" Amber grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. "Maybe if I stand really still, she won't be able to see me… that's how teenage girls work, right?"

"I think that a T-Rex…"

"Damn, there goes that plan…"

-.-

"So is she just going to stand there?" Taylor asked Stephanie, staring across the yard at her brother and his girlfriend.

"I dunno… she has clearly seen us," Stephanie leaned on her hockey stick and watched as Sid teased Amber by the car. She rolled her eyes as Amber reached for him and pulled him back to her. She was playing the _innocent little girl _part quite well, and Steph knew it would only be a matter of time till Sid saw through it. A number of her friends had crazy crushes on Sid, so she had seen almost every act possible as they tried to get his attention. Thank God he was either too smart or too dense to fall for it. Steph had always seen Sid as her older brother, and had a hard time seeing what all the screaming girls saw in him. Maybe it was because she knew how anal he was, or how bad he smelt after a work out but there was certainly no crushing on him from her stand point.

Steph watched as Amber bit down on the corner of her lip and looked up at Sid with the seductive look so many puck bunnies had used on him before. She couldn't believe he was falling for it.

"Maybe she put a spell on him or something…" Steph offered to Taylor, as she rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Seriously, I'm glad we didn't have dinner already or I would be pucking up perfectly good food," Taylor replied. It was hard for her to watch her brother playing lovey dovey in the parking lot. This was certainly not a side of him she knew.

"Oh crap, they're coming…" Steph said under the breath, while turning her eyes away from Sid practically pulling Amber towards them.

"I don't like her already…"

"Tru dat," Steph laughed. "He is delusional if he thinks we are going to play nice."

"Hey ladies," Sid greeted them as he approached the waiting teenagers. "We figured it was easier for you to stare Amber down, if we were a little closer…"

"What are you talking about? We weren't staring…" Taylor argued, looking a Stephanie and innocently shrugging.

"Righttttttt…" Sid glared at his sister. Taylor glared right back and she wasn't going to back down anytime soon.

"Anyways, I'm going to head inside and check on mom… you three play nice…" Sid explained, dropping Amber's hand and backing up while dealing with protests and quiet swears from her.

Amber slowly turned around and faced the smirks on the faces of the girls in front of her.

"Nice guy you got there… dumping you out here with us…" Steph pointed out, chuckling to herself.

"Oh yeah," Amber nodded, anxiously crossing her arms in front of her chest. "He will definitely hear about it later…"

"Do you play hockey?" Taylor asked, exchanging knowing looks with her partner in crime.

"A bit…" Amber admitted.

"Well grab a stick, we can play a bit of one on one… we should warn you, we are pretty good…" Steph offered, pointing to a rack of sticks near the edge of the yard.

"Yeah, I hear you are both going to be at Shattock this fall… that's pretty exciting," Amber asked innocently enough, while walking over to the rack of sticks. "Must be nice for you to have someone you know, going into a new school?"

"Yeah, I guess," Taylor shrugged, watching Amber ponder over what stick to use. She thought her brother was slow. Taylor exchanged another look with Steph, as Amber picked one stick, tested the flex and then put it back, opting for another.

"Found one you like, yet?" Steph asked impatiently.

"Yeah, this one will do," Amber agreed, finally making her decision.

Amber walked onto the concrete slab and put her stick on the ground. Taylor backed up into the net and Steph passed Amber the puck, a little harder then she probably should have and maybe a little less aimed at the stick and more at her body then she should have.

Amber stopped the puck from hitting her body with a quick block with the shaft of the stick and looked up at the young girl in front of her. Steph shrugged and offered up a fake apology. _"So, it's going to be like that…"_ Amber thought to herself. She had dealt with enough junior hockey players trying to prove themselves to recognize the aggressive move Steph has just made. She could tell that this was their way of testing her - their logic being if she could play hockey, she would be good enough. Amber couldn't believe that she was going to have to play this game but she knew that if she took the mature approach and walked away now, she would never win them over. So she grabbed the puck at the end of the stick and shot.

-.-

Sid watched nervously from the window. He watched as Steph took a cheap shot at Amber but luckily Amber's stick was in the way and it didn't hit her. He couldn't decide if the stick was just in the right place or if Amber had actually moved the stick to block the shot. He had never actually seen Amber play, or even asked if she could. He had a hard time imagining that someone who grew up beside the Talbot household couldn't play hockey but he was nervous anyway. He also knew he was going to be in trouble for leaving Amber out there but he was going to have to deal with that later.

Austin walked up behind him and glanced out the window, trying to see what Sid was staring at. "What are you watching?"

Sid pointed at the shooting area.

"Can she play?" Austin asked, now fixated on the scene in front of him.

"I don't know… I guess we will find out…"

"I doubt they will go easy on her…" Austin added.

"Yeah, I know…"

Sid continued to stare as Amber finally started moving the puck on her stick. From what he could see, she seemed to have pretty good handling… maybe this wouldn't end so badly.

"Holy CRAP! Did you see that?" Austin exclaimed. Sid's jaw dropped as he watched Amber take a slap shot at his sister. Taylor was clearly not expecting that, as the boys watched as she looked behind herself for the puck. The puck had flown through the air and went top shelf, usually Taylor's strongest side.

"What are you guys watching?" Nathalie and Troy walked into the room.

"Ambers GOOD!" Austin bounced towards his mom, pulling her towards the window.

"Oh yeah?" Nathalie looked over at Sid, her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah…" Sid said, still in shock but beaming with pride. "Yeah, she just got Taylor on her left side…"

"Shut up!" Troy said eagerly, peering out the window.

The girls had resumed playing, one on one, Amber vs. Steph. Amber poked the puck out from between Steph's legs and grabbed the puck, spinning around and shooting a backhander, five hole on Taylor. Amber then won the ensuing face off and slapped home another one timer form the right side, going right past Taylor's blocker and in. The small crowd that had gathered by the window to watch, all cheered when the puck hit the back of the net.

Sid exchanged a knowing smile with Nathalie. "She's done it… she's won you dad and your sister…" Nathalie said softly to him, patting him on the back. Sid nodded and smiled, as he watched his dad, eagerly trying to get closer to the window for a better look. "Thank God," he whispered back to her.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

The girls came in laughing and teasing each other, with Amber in the middle telling a story. Sid greeted them at the back door, grinning from cheek to cheek. He was so glad that his hockey experiment had gone well. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened if Amber hadn't blown them away… he would have been in such big shit!

"Hey… have fun out there?" Sid asked the girls.

"Yeah, can you get Amber a pair of skates? Dad got us ice time tomorrow and she said she would come and play with us but she doesn't have any skates here…" Steph asked excitedly.

"Umm… yeah, I am sure we can arrange that," Sid shrugged looking at Amber for approval. He wanted to make sure that getting skates was actually a good idea, not just the excuse she used to get out of playing.

"Nathalie said to go get ready for dinner. It'll be ready in about twenty minutes," Sid instructed the girls, who quickly ran off together. Sid turned his attention to Amber, who was leaning against the door.

"You… you were fucking amazing out there," Sid offered, still blown away. "My dad was super impressed; everyone was cheering for you every time you got a goal."

"You were all watching?" Amber asked, a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, Austin and my dad were jammed up against the window trying to get the best view! It was pretty funny…" Sid admitted. "I would be lying if I said it wasn't a huge turn on as well…"

"Oh yeah… funny, cause you're not getting any of this any time soon… don't think that I have forgotten that you abandoned me out there!" Amber reminded him.

"Oh come on, it all worked out… you can't be mad at me…"

"Wanna bet? Three times today…_ three times_… have you left me in the most ridiculous situations with a member of your family," Amber pointed out. Sid was glad that she still had a smile on her face, because he really would be up shit creek if this last stunt hadn't gone his way.

"Trial by fire…" Sid laughed, grabbing for her.

"I can't believe you!" Amber laughed and squirmed in his arms, making him hold on tighter. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to go get ready for dinner!"

"I'll come and help…" Sid released her from his arms and flashed her the smile that he knew she couldn't resist.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" Amber raised her eyebrow seductively at him, as he stepped in closer to her. Watching her play hockey had proven to have the same effect as an hour of foreplay on him. Amber stepped in closer to him and pressed her body against his, rubbing her leg along the inside of his and grinding herself into his hips, springing to life a painful erection that he had been suppressing for quite some time now. She ran her hand lightly down his chest and over his stomach, tracing the outline of his abs at the top of his jeans. She continued running her hand south over the top of his quad and then up the inside of his thigh until she reached the physical evidence of her effect on him which was pulling his jeans tight across the front. She leaned in and nipped at his bottom lip, looking into his eyes and smiling.

"Payback's a bitch…" She whispered then backed away quickly. Sid could barely stand, his legs like rubber, as he watched her walk away, adding extra emphasis to her strut. Her shapely ass looked damn fine in those jeans she was wearing. He threw his head back and moaned, then quickly followed behind her. There was no way that she could be so mean, as to leave him in this condition alone…

-.-

Sid rolled over on the bed and sighed contently. A tiny pang of guilt crept over him – as that was the first time he had ever broken pretty much the only house rule. Even though technically, he didn't break it 'cause the house rule stated "No overnight guests"… he just always assumed that it meant no sex, but it didn't actually_ say_ no sex, so he felt a little justified.

He propped himself up on his elbow as he watched Amber step out of the en suite, towelling off her hair. When she said she was going to take a five minute shower, she apparently meant a five minute shower – no joke. He debated also having a shower, as his hair was probably a little less then stellar after their quickie but he knew that both of them heading downstairs with wet hair was bound to set off some alarm bells. They had been so careful not to make any noise - Sid having to actually put his hand over her mouth when she came - that to blow it now would just be stupid.

Sid smiled at her, as she slipped into a pair of lacy black panties and reached for the matching bra. He loved watching her get dressed, almost as he liked watching her get undressed. The strip tease she had performed, not twenty minutes ago, had been one of the hottest moments of his entire life. Now watching her stand in front of him in black lace... well - he wasn't too sure how he was going to make it through dinner.

"What?" She asked, smiling back at him.

"You're beautiful," Sid offered, sitting up on the bed and reaching for her. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, lowering her head to his.

"You need to get up and get dressed. We were supposed to be down for dinner by now…" Amber explained, holding her head just far enough away from Sid's lips that he couldn't reach.

"I know… I just didn't think I had met my compliment quota for the day…"

"Get up!" Amber rolled her eyes and pushed Sid back, then disappeared to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Sid climbed out of bed and slipped back into the cloths that had been spread out in several heaps on the floor. Amber re-emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, her hair pulled back and the slightest trace of makeup on. She looked perfect.

"Ready for dinner?" Sid asked, holding out his hand for her.

"Well, there is A LOT of things I would rather do, but we might as well get it over with…" Amber put her hand in his, as Sid pulled her in for a kiss.

"I know that these last two days have been far from easy but I want you to know how much I appreciate you doing this…" Sid said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

"I knew it wouldn't be easy… but it might be worth it in the end…" Amber replied softly.

"I can guarantee you that. No one, and I mean _no one_, will ever love you as much as I do. You have no idea what you mean to me…" Sid pulled her face up to his and caught her lips in a deep kiss, the kind of kiss you never want to break away from.

"Mmm…" Amber sighed. "We _really_ need to head downstairs…"

-.-

"There you two are! Do me a favour Sid grab an extra chair from the family room and take it into the dining room…"

"Sure," Sid quickly agreed, trying to not draw to much attention to the fact that they were late and headed off.

"What can I do to help?" Amber offered to Nathalie, who was busy digging in the fridge.

"Could you open those two bottles of wine and put them out on the table?"

"For sure…" Amber walked over to where the two bottles of wine were sitting and opening the drawers below them, looking for a cork screw. She dug out her weapon of choice then opened the bottles with ease. Sid walked past her with the chair and she followed close behind him with the wine.

"Sid… jeez watch out!" Amber would have crashed right into Sid, if she had been even an inch closer, as he came to an abrupt halt in the doorway of the dining room. She walked around him, and entered the dining room, looking up to find an empty spot on the table to place the wine. The dining room was full of people, shuffling plates and serving platters around, chatting loudly. She barely even noticed him, standing beside Mario, chatting with Troy, laughing like he belonged there.

-.-

Max knew when Mario invited him to dinner, that Mario knew something about the situation between him and Sid but didn't fully comprehend the extent of the problem. He knew it was not by accident that he had been invited and he had to guess that it wasn't as Mario had suggested, 'to support Amber'. Mario had only ever invited Max to his house once or twice before, mostly for large parties or celebrations, not intimate family gatherings. No that honour was reserved for the 'superstars' of which Max could only dream of being.

When Max had entered the house, Mario had led him into the kitchen, announcing to Nathalie that she was to set another place for dinner. Nathalie clearly knew Mario was up to no good, as her response was far from pleased. She glared at him and flashed Max a fake smile, through tightly pressed lips. When Nathalie had asked for a word in private with her husband, Mario refused and Max was sure that there was going to be a full out brawl.

Mario led Max into the dining room where he was greeted warmly by both of Sid's parents, of which he had spent quite a bit of time with over the years. The kids had paid little attention to him, when he came in, as they were all busy planning a hockey game they would play tomorrow. Taylor had given him a quick hug and a sincere thank you for a gift that he had sent her at the beginning of the summer and Alexi, potentially the sweetest kid on the face of the planet, had given him a huge bear hug but Max knew that it would be his last warm reception of the night.

When Sid walked into the room, Max immediately felt his blood pressure rise but he certainly wasn't going to be the one to start a fight in his boss's house.

"Eh, mon amie! Long time no see, eh?" Max smiled his best fake smile, as he watched Sid grind to a halt in the doorway. He then watched as Amber pushed her way past Sid, who stood frozen and looked around for somewhere to put the bottles in her hands.

"Oh good, wine! We are going to need lots of that tonight, no?" Max exclaimed, not being able to tolerate the fact that she seemed oblivious to the fact that he was there.

It had taken Amber a minute to compute that it was in fact Max talking to her and after a shocked stare, all she could manage was to ask "What are you doing here?"

"I invited him," Mario chimed in with a smug smile on his face. Max could tell by the tone in his voice that he clearly was not a fan of Amber. "I thought it might be nice to have someone help us get to know you…"

"Don't worry, I won't embarrass you too much," Max laughed in an attempt at lifting the tense mood that had formed. He walked over to where Amber was standing, leaning in to give her a little peck on the cheek. Max felt her flinch and then clench tighter then a two by four as he touched her skin. It pained him to think that she could ever be so upset with him, but he knew she would soon get over it. Hopefully by the end of this dinner, he could prove that she didn't belong in this room.

"Don't touch me," Amber hissed under her breath as Max lingered close her face.

"Oh, I think I can do what I want… you don't want to make a scene here…" Max whispered back to her with a grin on his face. "Time to put on a happy face, darling…"

"Fuck you," Amber hissed again quietly through clenched teeth, ensuring that only Max could hear her.

"Don't be silly," Max laughed, back at full volume. "I am sure they won't mind rearranging a couple of spots, so we can sit together. It's been so long since we have had a chance to catch up… I am sure everyone will understand."

"No problem at all… why don't you grab the spot beside Amber there and Sid can sit on the other side," Mario smiled, obviously proud that his plan was having some sort of affect on his newest house guest. "Sid, why don't you put the chair down and come on in for a while?""

Sid shook his head and muttered something in agreement. He walked over to the table and gingerly placed the chair in front of the newly added place setting and then took his place as instructed by Mario, across the table from Amber and Max's assigned spots. He was careful not to make eye contact with anyone but he could feel that all eyes were on him.

-.-

Something was wrong. Trina could tell. It was the same feeling that she had whenever her son was injured on the ice, ever since he was little and would smash head first into the boards trying to score on his father. She could tell if it was serious, if he was really hurt or just taking his time getting up. Whatever was going on, it was certainly not good. She watched as Sid entered the room, staring at one of his best friends as if he was the anti Christ. As soon as Mario began talking, Sid lowered his gaze to the floor and had yet to look up. Amber too looked awkward and had shifted uncomfortably in her chair as Max draped his arm across her shoulders. Trina was under the impression that Amber and Max had been close friends but that was clearly not evident from the way they were acting tonight. She watched as Amber removed Max's arm, as if it was infected with a deadly disease.

"So Max, you never mentioned how you got that lovely shiner…" Trina asked innocently, while passing the mashed potatoes.

"Oh dat, just a little accident at the arena…" Max offered with a chuckle. "I guess I'll have to pay better attention to my surroundings this year, hey Sid?"

Trina watched as her son looked up and for the first time made eye contact with Max. The normal camaraderie between the two was replaced by dagger throwing stares.

"Yeah, you should probably watch out…"

"Oh yeah?" Max asked in a threatening tone, as if accepting the challenge.

"Enough!" Amber chimed in, making it the first time that Trina has heard her talk since arriving for dinner. "If you can't behave, leave." Trina heard Amber state firmly at Max. Max looked back at her and apologized under his breath, then reached up and brushed an errant hair off of Amber's cheek in a way that suggested that they were much more then childhood friends. Trina looked back at her son and saw that his fists were clenched on the table so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Trina exchanged looks with her husband, who it was clear had also noticed the intensity in Sid's body language.

"Sid, I just remembered, Nana Crosby sent me with a care package for you and I think there might be some perishables in it. Perhaps we should go get it…" Trina watched as Troy pushed his chair back from the table and tried to polity excuse himself. Sid remained seated, staring across the table. "Now!"

Sid broke from his stare and looked at him. Trina knew that the look on her husbands face was one that read _'This isn't an option…' _He slowly lifted himself from his chair and followed Troy out to the hallway.

Trina watched as her son and husband walked out of the room and then turned her attention back to the table where Nathalie was starring angrily at Mario and Amber looked like she was on the verge of full out tears. _What was going on?_ _What was this girl doing to her son?_

-.-

As soon as they were out of ear shot from the dining room, Troy turned to his son.

"What is going on with you and Max?"

"It's nothing, Dad. Don't worry about it…"

"It's clearly nothing… Does it have something to do with _her_?"

Sid collapsed against the wall behind him and ran his hands through his hair. "It's not her fault."

"What's not her fault?"

"I don't want you to hate her… you won't understand…"

"Try me. It's better then staying in there and adding more ammunition for your _mom_ to hate her. She has a very active imagination… right now she is probably imagining a whole host of scenarios and I can promise you, that Amber is at fault in all of them right now."

Sid stared at his dad for a minute, debating whether or not he should tell him the truth. He hated keeping things from his dad but Amber had done a good job of winning him over earlier and he didn't want to risk losing that momentum. Sid debated the pros and cons. On one side, hearing the truth about the situation from him was probably better then hearing it from Max or, worse, Mario and especially over dinner. If his dad knew, he could help diffuse the situation. On the other hand, there was a chance that his dad would side with Max and then all hell would break loose. Again, it was probably better that he knew which side his dad was on out here in the hall then inside at the dining room table.

"Max thinks I stole her from him but I didn't even know they knew each other… and now he's causing shit…"

"What do you mean_ stole_? How do they know each other?"

"They grew up together and dated and stuff… but they broke up when Max came here… its not like they were dating when we… _you know_… He just assumed that she was sitting around pinning away for him… its bullshit and he's being a fucking ass about it…"

"So why is he here?"

"I don't know… Mario invited him… he's never invited him here…" Sid glanced back towards the dining room and shook his head. "I don't think he likes her much either…"

"Oh Jesus…"

"It's not fair Dad… He doesn't know her. He hasn't even given her a chance."

Sid watched as Troy stood back and then took a couple of paces down the hall and then walked back to his son. "So your mom, Mario, Max… How much are you willing to loose for this girl? You seem to be making a lot of excuses for her… what is it about her that makes her different then all the others?"

"How much time do you have?" Sid smiled a half smile and looked down at his feet.

-.-

"Max, I think it's a good idea that you and Sid trade spots," Troy declared as he walked back into the dining room. After listening to his son go on and on about Amber he decided that he had to do the thing nobody expected of him - be nice to her.

Troy felt it had become his duty to help his son – to a point. He would side with Sid against Max at dinner and work to get Trina to cut them some slack until he could have a proper conversation with everyone. He wanted to talk to Amber one on one and he wanted most of all to talk to Mario, to see what he knew about the situation, to get his take and understand why he had gone out of his way to put his son in this position. Mario was a decent guy with a good head on his shoulders. Troy respected him and the way he conducted himself and knew that there must have been a damn good reason for the situation he had caused, seemingly on purpose, over dinner.

Troy watched as Max slowly rose from the table and walked to the other side of the room, plopping himself down at his newly assigned seat. At least he had the decency to not argue the switch. Sid took his place next to Amber and she quickly grabbed his hand, as if it was a life raft and she was drowning.

"What were we all talking about?" Troy asked, as he too took his place at the table next to his wife.

"Max was just telling us all about Amber's amazing talents…" Nathalie answered, flashing a fake smile through tightly pursed lips.

"Oh is that right? And what are some of those talents?" Troy asked, filling his plate with food that had already been passed around the table while he had been in the hallway with his son.

"It turns out that Amber was quite a hockey player when she was younger…" Trina added, knowing that that was probably the only thing her husband cared about.

"I could tell by watching her out there with the girls… its not easy getting a shot past my daughter," Troy laughed. "Did you play in university?"

"Um… no I had a scholarship to play at Carlton but I got hurt in a car accident before I started school and couldn't play anymore… drunk driver…" Amber admitted shaking her head, as if she was ashamed. "They let me keep my scholarship based on my academics, if I helped coach and manage the team… so that's how I got more involved with the management side."

"A car accident? That terrible… were you driving?" Nathalie asked sincerely.

"No…" Amber shook her head and looked at the table, pushing her peas across her plate.

"Well I hope the driver of the car knows that he ruined a potential star… watching you out there was something," Troy offered, while spooning a heap of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Amber looked up and across the table at Max. "Yeah… I hope he does too."

Troy watched as it was now Max's turn to shift uncomfortably in his seat. All eyes were on him, as it was clear that Max was the one to be blamed for the situation. Troy glanced over at his wife, who's mouth had dropped open.

"Thanks for dat," Max snapped across the table. "Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas avec vous?"

"Desole, je ne voulais pas en parler, mais vous l'avez commence. Je ne vais pas m'asseoir ici et laissez-vous me mettre dans l'embarras," Amber hissed back.

Max laughed and leaned back in his chair, "Je n'ai pas commence a vous embarrasser encore."

Amber felt Sid squeeze her hand. She quickly changed her tone and switched back to English for the benefit of Sid's parents, who, she was pretty sure, were the only people at the table who didn't know French. "It was a long time ago," Amber quickly added in attempt to change the mood. "We moved past that…"

"You guys stayed friends after the car accident?" Lauren asked innocently. "For real?"

"I would never talk to him again!" Taylor added.

"Hey, I'm right here!" Max snapped again. "It's clearly in the past. It was an accident, she forgave me, we moved on. Can we talk about something different?"

"I think technically you brought it up," Taylor reminded him. "You couldn't expect us to have a conversation about Amber being an awesome hockey player without asking her why she doesn't have a gold medal…"

Troy was proud of his daughter for having the balls to stand up to Max and could see that Sid too was enjoying the fact that he didn't have to say anything himself. Max glared at her and Taylor held her ground. It was pretty clear that he was not impressed with her honesty.

He was pretty surprised that Amber had clearly won Taylor over, considering how earlier it seemed that her and Stephanie had been plotting her demise. '_Teenagers, so fickle…_' Troy thought to himself.

"Perhaps it is better if we talk about something else…" Troy suggested.

"Yes I think that is a great idea," Nathalie chimed in. "So Max, how was your summer?"

"Fantastic. Found out my best friend was fucking my girl. How was your summer?"


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One**

"Wow, I am glad that's over," Sid laid back on Amber's bed.

"I can't believe I'm not dead… I am so embarrassed, I almost wish I were."

"You? I can't believe _Max_ isn't dead… I'm not sure who wanted to kill him more… my dad or me…"

"Yeah… you're sister is pretty feisty too…"

"Holy Shit! That was funny!" Sid started laughing hysterically as he replayed the whole night in his head. "I loved at the end when Nathalie told him to leave, Austin gave him a bill for the swear jar! That was hilarious! I almost died not laughing!"

"Too bad he doesn't know all the French swears… Your mom didn't say anything…" Amber pointed out, quieting Sid's laughter.

"Neither did Mario… all night… they just seemed to sit there and take it all in," Sid agreed. It was definitely an awkward evening without comments from either of them. Sid was sure that he was going to hear about it eventually from both of them. "I couldn't tell what side they were on at all…"

"I'll give you one guess," Amber rolled her eyes then sat on the corner of the bed.

Sid reached for her and pulled her down to the bed, wrapping his arms around her protectively. "I think we need to give them the benefit of the doubt. I think my mom is on the fence and my dad will work on her… as for Mario, he just needs some time I think. He needs to know that you aren't going anywhere…"

"I am sure he is really going to appreciate you and Max fighting…"

"The guys will sort Max out, Mario knows that. He won't be able to cause a stink for long. Staalze was witness to Max saying he was fine with it too, so that'll help. It's not just my word against his," Sid pointed out. "And it's a contract year for Max, so he'll have to be at the top of his game. He doesn't have time to get caught up in this bullshit."

Amber rolled on to her side and looked down at Sid. "Tell me it will get easier."

"It will. I promise," Sid reassured her, running his hand softly along her cheek. "And not just 'cause it can't get worse. Everything is out there. We have nothing else to hide. Everyone knows everything. Now its just time for them to accept it and move on."

"Moving forward…" Amber murmured, while lowering her lips to Sid's. It had felt like an eternity since he had touched her lips. "Make love to me…" she moaned into his mouth and he was all to happy to oblige, pulling her on top of him.

-.-

"Well that was interesting," Troy declared, as he slumped contently into a chair in Mario's study. Mario handed him a cigar and then a flame to light the end, before starting one for himself.

"Certainly was," Mario agreed, turning to his own chair.

"What did you make of it?" Troy asked, genuinely interested in hearing the opinion of the man he respected greatly.

"It's a lot to take in…" Mario admitted.

"You must have known that Max would start a scene when you invited him here…"

"I had a slight indication. There had been mention around the arena that Max and Sid had fought and I just wanted to see what it was about," Mario explained. "I had no idea…"

"Sure you did," Troy shook his head. "And you knew full well that it was going to cause problems. It's time to cut the bullshit - this is my son we are talking about. He mentioned that you don't appear to like Amber very much."

"I just wanted to make sure that he wasn't blinded by sex goggles," Mario smirked. "You know how some of those boys can get? Pretty girl sucks their dick and they think they're in love."

"Sidney is not like that and you know it," Troy argued. He felt himself getting protective of his son, with the last person he ever thought he would.

"Just doing my due diligence. A lot of people have a lot invested in that boy and _you know that,"_ Mario reminded him. "Nobody knew anything about her. She could have been taking him for a ride. I think we can safety say that that isn't the case anymore… maybe we know a little too much about her now... Max certainly showed some pour taste, describing that in front of the kids, but we definitely have insight into who she really is…"

"Yeah, I think Max could have left something to the imagination," Troy chuckled, sitting back in his chair.

"Good for Sid anyway… flexibility is important, keeps the home fires burning…" Mario added, laughing to himself.

-.-

Trina reached across the table wiping a handful of bread crumbs and spilled wine towards her. Perhaps for the next meal they would have to re-implement the children's table rule – and put her husband there. He seemed to spill more food then anyone and that included the nine year old. It was embarrassing really. At least that was the least embarrassing part of the night. Things had gotten pretty intense over dinner.

"You really don't need to do that," Nathalie walked into the dining room.

"Oh yes I do," Trina argued, continuing her cleanup. "No one else needs to be responsible for my husband's sloppiness."

"So… I can't help but be curious, you haven't said anything about what you think about Amber…" Nathalie asked.

"What's to say? My son has made it very well known that our opinion doesn't matter to him."

"Trina… you know that isn't true."

"Isn't it? He invited this girl into his life without so much as an introduction before hand. After all that we have done for him…"

"I think your son has paid you back for that. You are going to have to let that go eventually, believe me it will only cause problems," Nathalie warned Trina based off personal experience with her own mother in law.

"All I am saying is, would it have been so hard for him to have shown a little respect? I mean, we _are_ his parents!"

"So you don't actually have a problem with her, you're just being stubborn?" Nathalie pointed out. She knew she might be crossing the line but she couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. Someone had to stand up for her.

"I never _didn't_ like her…"

"Trina come on, you haven't exactly made a fair effort to be nice to her. The poor girl moved here to be with your son. She had to give up everything. Believe me that's not easy," Nathalie explained, softening her tone. "She just wants to be liked by her boyfriend's mom… perhaps you could talk to her… it might help to calm your nerves too. She really is a nice girl, she is smart and confident –"

"Oh yes, confident we have seen… poor Max didn't stand a chance."

"I don't know if I would say 'poor Max'. He created quite a scene. She had to be confident to deal with him, especially the way she did. I can't imagine how embarrassed she must have been…"

-.-

Amber woke up with the sunlight pouring into her eyes. The window of the Lemieux's guest room faced the east, making it hard to sleep in. She reached up behind her and pulled the curtains shut tightly but it hardly made a difference. Looking next to her in the empty bed, Amber squinted as she attempted to adjust her eyes to the light. The empty space had been recently abandoned, as it was still warm and smelt like Sid sweet cologne. Sid had either snuck back to his own room to avoid being caught or he had already left for his workout. Either way, it was way past the time of social acceptance for her to be hiding in her room. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to think she was hiding or too embarrassed to face them. Even if she was.

Amber climbed out of bed and pulled on some casual clothes before heading downstairs to face the day. As she entered the kitchen, she stopped briefly in her tracks. The room was empty except for Sid's mom sitting in one of the barstools at the kitchen counter, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. She was still in her pyjamas, making Amber wish she too could feel that comfortable in this house. As if sensing her presence, Trina looked up from her paper and glanced in Amber's direction.

"Well come in," Trina insisted. "I don't bite."

Amber cautiously walked into the kitchen, muttering good morning and getting herself out a coffee cup.

"Nathalie took Alexi to her swimming lessons," Trina explained their hostess's absence. "She should be back soon. She had mentioned that you and her were doing some shopping this morning."

"Um, yeah… we were going to check out some design stores and maybe get more off Sid's '_list of essentials'_… you are welcome to join us…"

"Hmmm… that sounds lovely… I am not sure what the boys had planned for today, so I'll have to check with them… unless you know… seeing as how you're Sid's manager now, maybe you know what his schedule holds for him…"

Amber couldn't tell if Trina was being sincere or not. She was an exceptionally hard woman to read.

"I am sorry if that bothers you…"

"It doesn't bother me that he hired a proper manager. It was a long time coming, we can all agree on that," Trina paused as if she was reflecting on the past number of years. "Out of curiosity, what decision came first? The decision to be with you? Or the decision for you to be his manager?"

"I guess to be with me…" Amber responded after a minute of thought, she wasn't sure what Trina was trying to get at with that question and she certainly didn't want to dig herself into a deeper hole. "The manager thing was reactionary… after I lost my job in Ottawa, I wasn't going to move here. I was going to go and work in Europe and Sid wasn't exactly happy with that idea… he wanted me to come here, so he asked me to come and be his manager… I just can't sit around and do nothing. I have to work. I have to be busy. He knew that. I can't just be some trophy sitting on his mantle," Amber tried to explain.

"He's not just a trophy on yours?" Trina asked cautiously.

"No. I know you probably don't think that but I am not _that person_ and I _will_ prove it. It might take time for you to trust me or even like me but… I will do my best. I love your son. Not because he is rich or famous or a good hockey player but because he is a good person and he's caring and compassionate and genuinely the best person I have ever known," Amber explained to Trina.

Amber shifted uncomfortably in her spot, as Trina continued to stare at her, even over the edge of her coffee cup while she took a slow sip. Amber had just poured out her heart and knew she couldn't do anymore to make this woman like her. She held her ground and lifted her chin with confidence of her position, like Nathalie said she would have to. It was Trina's decision now.

"Well then…" Trina put her coffee cup down on the counter and stood up. Amber didn't know whether she should brace herself for impact or start running the opposite direction. "… take good care of my boy." Trina took the couple steps towards Amber and opened her arms. Amber stepped towards her and was embraced with a large hug, potentially one of the most awkward hugs of her life.

"Good to see you two getting along," Nathalie said, walking into the room.

As Trina stepped back to greet their host, Amber watched as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I understand we have lots to do today," Trina choked out, as if she was fighting back tears. "We should get started, don't you think? That house needs to be perfect before the start of the season… Sid doesn't need any more distractions!"

-.-

"Tabernack! What the FUCK?" Max swore as his head hit the fresh drywall behind him. He pulled himself away from the wall and inspected for damages - in both the paint and his head.

"What the FUCK were you thinking, coming into Mario's house and attacking her like that? Who the fuck did you think you were helping? Yourself? She will NEVER forgive you for that!" Sid hissed at him. Sid had been waiting for him in the hall and as soon as he stepped through the door, he grabbed him by the collar and practically threw him across the small space. Max looked around as quite a crowd gathered to watch, after hearing Max make contact with the wall. So much for keeping their problems away from the ice…

"She has forgiven me for a lot worse…" Max shrugged. Maybe he had gone a bit too far last night but seeing her acting like a part of Sid's family made him sick.

"There is something seriously wrong with your head, you know that?"

"Yeah, you just put a new dent in it…" Max laughed, rubbing his head. He certainly had no intention of letting Sid get any reaction out of him.

Before he knew it, Max was back up against the wall, reeling from a blow to the face from his pissed off Captain. Max could taste the blood in his mouth, as he reached up and checked his teeth.

"Still think I am joking around?" Sid asked, clearly still ready for more.

Max lunged at him, hitting him square in the jaw and then grabbing him in a head lock. "You have NO RIGHT to be mad at ME!"

Sid struggled free, pushing his team mate and former best friend to the ground. He reached down and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back up to his feet, just to nail him in the head. "After the SHIT you pulled last night, you should be glad you walked out of there… unlike you, I had some respect for that FAMILY…"

Max climbed to his feet, his lip busted and blood flowing freely. "RESPECT? You want to talk to me about RESPECT! Who were you respecting when you picked her?"

"I didn't pick her to screw you over… You need to get that through your thick head! What you did yesterday, the things you said in front of everyone… that was disgusting… those were private moments, you should have kept that sick shit to yourself!"

"I just thought that everyone should know who you are getting involved with… you should be proud… the things she can do with her tongue and with her body…mmm…" Max was baiting him now. He made the motion of fucking her just to see his reaction. "Even your Dad seemed interested…"

Sid lunged at him again, grabbing his head and punching him in the stomach, till Max was bent over gasping for air. The only reason Sid stopped was because some of the group of guys had jumped in to separate them. Sid struggled to get free, to return to the fight, while Max crawled to lean against the wall.

"ENOUGH!" Sid heard their coach bellow down the hall, while running towards the crowd of people.

"What the FUCK is going on here? I am sure everyone has some work to do… " Dan yelled, as he approached, surveying the damage. Max was practically laughing as he wiped the blood from his face and Sid was shaking out his hand. The crowd of people quickly disappeared and Sid forced himself to reign in his temper, as he knew better then to continue fighting in front of his coach. "You two. In my office… NOW!"

Both Max and Sid walked with their heads down towards Dan's office and once inside heard the door slam sharply behind them.

"So who would like to explain that?" Dan asked, the tone in his voice indicating that he was not impressed. "Anyone? Anyone want to explain the email I got this morning from Mario, warning me that Max might get his ass kicked?"

"Max pulled some shit at dinner last night and I was just reminding him of some etiquette…" Sid shrugged. He was surprised that Mario had told Dan so soon.

"Sid's mad 'cause his new girlfriends a whore and won't do the things to him that she would do for me…" Max quipped with a smile. He then watched as Sid's hands formed fists again, noting the blood that had stained the surface of Sid's skin. He wasn't sure if it was his or Sid's own…

"ENOUGH! What the fuck is wrong with you? You don't think I will send you down to the minors? If this gets out to the media, you think any team would want you after this shit?" Dan snapped at Max, then turned to face Sid. "And you… what the fuck are you doing fighting? What if you hurt yourself?"

"Oh the poor baby… what if you get a booboo?" Max teased.

"Then my _girlfriend _will kiss it better… you're just jealous…" Sid pointed out.

"Jealous? Of that whore? I finished with her years ago…"

"Oh please… everyone knows you want her back… that's what this is about… you can't stand the fact that she has moved on… upgraded to a real man… someone who can treat her right!"

"Holy fuck, you two sound like a bunch of drunk bitches right now! You need to cut it out… You aren't leaving this office until you come to some kinda peace treaty... I am going to go get a coffee and when I get back, I expect that there won't be any blood on my carpet and that you two will have come up with a solution. Or you'll both be benched for the home opener…" Dan threatened, knowing that the only power he had was in taking away their ice time. And that is wasn't real power because there was no way he could not play _Sidney Crosby_ without a shit storm on his desk in the morning and possibly risking his job.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-two**

"Can you pass me the bowl in that box over there?" Amber asked Michelle Cooke, as she pointed at a box on the table, while standing on a stepping stool. "I think it will look good on this shelf… what do you think?"

Michelle walked over to the box and unwrapped a large crystal bowl, holding it up and examining it. "Yeah, I think it will work… what did this bad boy set you back? It's heavy as hell!"

"Yeah, I know… but it's pretty… I like how it throws the light around," Amber admitted.

"Oh la de da… Can we take a wine break yet?"

Amber climbed down off her stool, laughing. "We haven't even done one room! And it's 11am!"

"I promise I am more productive with wine in me…" Michelle promised.

"The wine cellar is at the bottom of the stairs and I am sure there are some glasses around here somewhere… you can go grab a bottle from one of the boxes down there. Don't pick off the racks, that's the '_special_' wine. None of the everyday wine has been put on the racks yet. Sid is very picky wants it all put away 'right'," Amber explained.

"Sid is picky about everything…" Michelle laughed as she headed out of the room.

Amber had invited some of the girls over for lunch and to help her put the house together. Michelle had been the first to arrive, shortly after dropping her son off at school and they had yet to get anything accomplished. The construction on the main floor was finished and now it was just a matter of getting it to feel like a home. The furniture had been delivered, but still sat wrapped in plastic wrap, waiting for the designer to come with her team and place it. Amber felt useless in that world but could certainly unpack her kitchen.

It had been a couple of weeks since she had arrived in Pittsburgh now and she was starting to get the feel for the place. Nathalie had been right about the WAGs, once they got their initial hazing over with, they started to warm up to her. She had already had several lunches with the ladies and had met almost all of them. She had been invited to participate in a fundraising planning committee and had been voted as this year's chair person. Nathalie warned her that that was just a duty of the captain's girl and not to take it as a vote of confidence in her but she couldn't help but feel like she was bonding with the women – some more then others. She could still get the sense that some didn't like her, or thought that she didn't belong. It was funny when some of the French women talked about her behind her back, not knowing that she knew French. For a while, she let it go but one day she responded to Nathalie in French and that kind of put an end to it. Geno's girlfriend, also trash talked Amber to her face pretty viciously while talking to a friend of hers in Russian at a party. Amber knew enough Russian to get by from doing a lot of work in Russia and put an end to that one pretty quickly, causing Geno to roar with laughter as his beloved turned red like borsht. When Sid had asked her what Geno was laughing about she had responded 'A Russian knock-knock joke', causing Geno to laugh hysterically and fall off his chair. Sid knew she was lying but left it alone. She was finding her place in this circle and that was good enough for him.

The doorbell rang and Amber went to the front to answer it. Nathalie and Vero were standing there and two more girls were walking up the drive way. Nathalie handed her a bottle of wine and insisted that she needed a glass right away.

"When are the designers coming to set everything up?" Nathalie asked, looking at all the plastic wrapped furniture piled into the corner of the living room.

"They are supposed to be here this afternoon… I was hoping to have everything done before the boys got home from their road trip," Amber admitted.

"Well then, crack that bottle open and lets get to work!" Vero added, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"Actually, I think Michelle has picked a bottle from the cellar but something tells me we are going to need more then one bottle for today!" Amber laughed, leading the ladies into the kitchen. She pointed at what looked like a million bags and boxes, surrounding more plastic wrapped furniture. "All that needs to be unpacked and found a home… and somewhere in there are the wine glasses…"

-.-

Amber gathered up plates and another empty wine bottle from the table and moved them into the kitchen. The women had made quite a dent in the pile in a short period of time and had decided to stop for lunch. As Amber still had not located pots and pans, she had apologized and just ordered Chinese. The women seemed content as she opened another couple bottles of wine to keep them that way. The women were busy laughing and telling stories about their husbands and silly team events that had taken place over the years. Certain women seemed to enjoy the wine more then others, as she watched Michelle pour herself yet another glass. Nathalie of course, had cut herself off after one and Vero who weighed about the same as a fruit fly, had barely made it through her second glass before she was tipsy. _'She certainly wasn't allowed to un load any china or crystal this afternoon,_' Amber thought to herself with a chuckle.

Amber returned to the group with a new bottle and poured herself a bit more, taking her seat on the farm style chairs that they had decided to un wrap themselves so they could sit at the table and not on the floor. The designers had shown up and were busy in the other rooms, setting out furniture and such.

"So Amber… I think that we know you well enough now…" Michelle stopped to hiccup. "… that you need to answer a couple of questions, I know we have all been dying to ask…"

Amber watched as a number of the girls smiled and exchanged looks with each other, some turned red and some giggled.

"Oh no…" Nathalie shook her head.

"Nat, you may wish to cover your ears…" Michelle warned her, making a number of the girls laugh. Amber had never felt more like she was trying to get into in some impossibly exclusive sorority in her life.

"What we need to know is…" another hiccup. "… how big is it?"

Amber just stared blankly. Had she really just heard that right? She looked around the room, as the women shifted uncomfortable but all eyes were still on her, as if this was the question that they had discussed a million times over but could never determine the answer… until now.

"How big is what?" Amber asked sheepishly, knowing full well what they were asking.

"Don't play games with us! You know… Sid's… stick…" Michelle sat forward intently.

"You need to settle the debate…" Vero chimed in from the other end of the table.

"If you don't want to answer that… you could just tell us if he knows what to do with it…" Michelle offered.

"Oh my god… are you for real?" Amber laughed. She couldn't believe this was happening. She looked to Nathalie for help but Nathalie just shrugged.

"I can't say I'm not a little curious…"

Amber could feel her cheeks getting warm. She knew the women weren't going to back down and that there was no changing the conversation. "Well… I would say it's more then standard and he _definitely _knows what to do with it…"

"Where's the hottest place you've done it?"

"Tell us he has some weird, freaky fetish…"

"Have you done it at the arena yet?"

Amber was bombarded with questions. The girls seemed to sit closer to the edge of their seats.

"Okay, ladies…" Nathalie chimed in as the voice of reason, putting a halt to the questioning. Amber let out a breath of relief, as Nathalie was clearly still the ring master and she would put this conversation to a rest. "One question at a time…"

"What?" Amber practically shrieked. That was not what she had expected to hear from Nathalie at all! Nathalie just shrugged again and started laughing. "You gotta give the girls somethin'…"

"So… have you done it in the arena yet?" Michelle nudged her, raising her eyebrows in interest.

-.-

"Honey, I'm home!" Sid bellowed up the stairs, as he walked in the front door. He had always wanted to say that!

"Hey!" Amber greeted him with a huge bear hug as he dropped his bag at the edge of the stairs. "How was your road trip?"

"Oh it was good… we won both… I know its just exhibition but it felt good, you know?" Sid said, while running his hands down the length of her body. "I see you got the house in shape…"

Amber nodded and then pulled him by both hands into the living room. "Wow!" He exclaimed, walking around the space. When he had left, only three days ago, this room was empty. Now it was full of furniture and area rugs and even a piano in the corner.

"Go check out the dining room… and the kitchen… and the family room is done and your mom's sitting room… I think she'll love it!" Amber pushed him excitedly into the next room. "Nathalie and I went and bought like a million cookbooks, so your mom can just sit in there and read… all day!"

"Wow…"

"The girls all came over and helped un pack everything yesterday… It was crazy!"

"Oh yeah? That's great!" Sid moving into the kitchen and opened every cupboard door, to find the shelves full of dishes and containers. "Where are the goldfish crackers?"

"Is that all you care about?" Amber rolled her eyes and walked over to the pantry doors, pulling out a bag of crackers and throwing them to Sid.

"No… but I'm hungry…" Sid laughed. "I am glad you had fun with the girls…"

"I didn't say I had fun… I said it was crazy…" Amber pointed out, jumping up to sit on the newly installed marble counters.

"Oh? What happened?" Sid asked, popping a handful of crackers into his mouth.

"They were very interested in our sex life…"

"Well it is pretty fantastic…" Sid laughed until Amber shot him a look. "Seriously? What did they want to know?"

"Everything! They had quite a bit of wine in them…"

"What did you tell them?" Sid asked, a little more shocked.

"That I was seriously disappointed and it was a huge area of contention in the relationship… that you could only perform on the ice… and that you had a sick twisted hockey stick fetish…" Amber teased, acting very serious.

"Shut up! Seriously! What did they ask?"

"How big you were… where we had done it… if you were good with your tongue… if we had done it at the rink…"

"Really? At the rink… I hadn't thought of that…" Sid smiled, as if the idea of that was something that interested him.

Amber continued with the list of questions she had been asked.

"You didn't actually tell them anything thought, right?" Sid said after Amber finished with the list.

"How could I not? They had me surrounded!" Amber laughed.

"Oh my God… if that gets back to the guys, I will never live it down…" Sid ran his hands through his hair.

"Well then I suggest you prepare because you know there is no way those gossiping bitches aren't telling their significant others right now!" Amber laughed. She may not have known them long but she knew them well enough all ready to know that.

"You told them I was good thought right?" Sid asked sheepishly, flashing her one of his famous boy next door smiles.

"Well… I didn't want to lie to them…" Amber teased again.

"Hey!" Sid protested. "I guess I will just have to work harder… more practice it is…" Sid dipped his head in to meet hers and playfully nipped at her bottom lip. She giggled and nipped back, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close her body. He picked her up and placed her on the kitchen counter, then ran his hands down her legs as she wrapped them around his waste.

Amber reached around her waist and pulled her shirt up over her head and threw it on the floor, exposing the soft milky flesh of her breasts held in by a red and black lacy bra. Sid licked his lips, as she leaned away from him, thrusting her chest up, making her tits look huge.

"Tell me what skills I should work on first… Tell me what you want…" Sid demanded as he slipped a bra strap down over her shoulder and ran the back of his fingers over the soft material. He could feel her hard nipple beneath the surface of the bra, and pulled the cup down exposing it. He rolled the pink nub between his thumb and forefinger and then gave it a little tug.

"I just want you in me…"

"Oh yeah?" Sid moaned, pushing himself back from the counter and pulling her pants off in one aggressive tug.

He pushed the lace crotch of her panties aside and slid two fingers up inside of her. "You didn't specify…" He teased, as she threw her head back in ecstasy. He ran his thumb across the hard wet flesh of her clit as she moaned and laid backwards on the counter, pulling her knees up against his chest. He pushed his fingers further inside and curled them up just slightly, making small circles inside of her and pumping his hand slowly in and out while continuously rolling her clit with his thumb. He watched as she arched her back off the counter and ran her hands over her breasts. He leaned over and kissed her knees, pushing her legs apart. She reached to brace herself on the edge of the counter, while the other hand grasped and tangled in his short hair. He watched as her back arched off the counter again, as she came around his fingers, pressing her breasts high up into the air. He could feel a wave of hot fluid roll over his hand as he slowly withdrew his fingers, still paying special attention to the hard nib of her clit.

"Beg me to put it in you…" Sid instructed her.

"You want your cock in me, just as much as I do…" Amber reminded him, looking up at him with a smile. Sid laughed in agreement and quickly undid the button of his jeans, pushing them down to the floor. He pulled her back to the edge of the counter and swore under his breath that he wasn't just a couple inches taller, as he couldn't reach her dripping wet pussy. Instead he pulled her legs around him again, and pulled her entire body to him, supporting her and lifting her off the counter with his hand on her ass. He turned her around and slammed her back into the door of the fridge, sliding his hard thick cock into her dripping pussy. He drove himself deep into her with hard thrusts.

"Harder baby," Amber panted. "Fuck me hard baby. I am so close again! Make me cum baby! Oh god yes!"

Sid thrust his cock into her a dizzying pace. The room filled with raw animalistic sounds of sex and the scent of her juices hung in the air. Sid clenched every muscle in his body as he drove himself deeper and deeper and felt her tight pussy pulling him in. He could feel her digging her nails into his back and thrust harder as she bit down into his shoulder.

"Deeper," She cried out as she pulled him even closer. Amber's body shook as she came harder then she had ever and Sid let out a deep moan as he released himself within her. He continued a few more thrusts, for good measure, before pulling out and putting her down on her floor. Both of them slid down to the cold tiles beneath them and sat, staring at each other, breathing heavily.

After a couple of minutes, Amber jumped to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Sid asked, still not in total control of his breathing pattern.

"I have to go make a call… the wives are going to wanna here about this one!" She giggled and disappeared out of sight.

"Amber don't you dare! Get back here…" Sid climbed to his weak legs and began to chase after her. He didn't realize that she had only gone around the corner to the hallway and when he went running past, she jumped on him. Laughing and wrapping her legs around his waist. "You are such a goof!"

"Yeah… but you love me!" She teased as he swung her around to his front.

"Yeah I do… more then anything," he agreed, taking her mouth with his. "Never forget that…"


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

New York was one of those cities that Sid loved playing in. Sure it was a huge market and the games were almost always sold out with fans booing him every time the Pens came to town. Yeah, sure, he had to deal with an impossibly good goal tender and that cock suck Avery which was never fun. But it was also a city where nobody knew who he was. There were way bigger celebrities in New York City, that nobody gave a fuck about some out of town hockey player. He could walk the streets, go shopping, go out to eat and just hang out with the guys like a regular team mate. If he was in a Canadian market, he would have been locked in his hotel room, taking the staff entrances and service elevators to avoid mobs of people but not in New York. It was a breath of fresh air, especially around the holidays. He had most of his Christmas shopping out of the way, thanks to online shopping, but he had one more purchase to get done. It wasn't for Christmas, but shortly there after. There was a special trip out West coming up for the team and he needed to be prepared.

"Hey man, what are you doing after practice?" Sid threw a tape ball at Max from across the visitor dressing room at the Garden.

Max just shrugged. "I dunno… my mom will kill me if I give her a gift card to the grocery store again this Christmas, so I guess I should get some shopping in… why?"

"I was thinking the same thing… there's one store in particular I want to go to…"

"If you are heading to the NHL store just to see a 100 foot version of yourself, I am going to pass…" Max joked.

Sid just laughed and shook his head. "No, I think I would pass on that too… chances are it's a picture of me looking like a dog with my tongue hanging out…"

"You're tongue is hanging out in almost every picture…" Dupuis laughed, chiming in on the conversation after entering the locker room from practice.

"What can I say? I am running out of room in my head… something has to give," Sid laughed.

"Yeah, it's full of your anal retentive tendencies…" Cooke threw his used socks into the laundry hamper.

"Anyways… you in or out?" Sid turned his attention back to Max.

Max shrugged and agreed.

"Awww… isn't that cute? The lovers are back together…" Cooke mocked. "You two love birds have a date?"

"Yeah, shopping for our moms… its going to be a hot one…" Max retorted, throwing his gear into a heap. "Wanna make it a threesome hot lips?"

-.-

Spending time alone with Sid was far from his idea of a good time. But Max had promised the coach, that unless he wanted to get traded to some half bit southern team, where no one would ever know his name, he would be on his best behaviour. And besides, Sid would pay for dinner.

As they walked down the sidewalk, Max pointed out stores that he thought he should go into, but Sid insisted that they could come right back there. He wanted to get to his store first. _'Typical,'_ Max thought _'It's all me, me, me…'_

"Here we are_,"_ Sid declared, as he arrived at the door to the store he had intended to go to.

"If you knew you wanted to come here specifically, why didn't we just get the cabby to drop us off here? Why did we have to walk?" Max asked, voicing his frustration.

"I didn't want you to not get out of the cab…" Sid admitted, holding the door open.

It was then, when Max looked up that he realized where they were standing. _'Tiffany's, every girls dream…'_ Max thought to himself.

"What are we doing here?" Max asked cautiously.

"I am going to ask Amber to marry me and I thought that you could help me pick out a ring," Sid responded slowly. "You know her better then anyone and I need all the help I can get."

Max stood in the doorway of the famous jewellery store in absolute shock and he was sure that it was written all over his face. He knew his mouth was hanging open and that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't hide his emotions in this moment.

"Coming in?" Sid asked, still holding the door.

"I… I… I don't know what to say… I didn't know you guys were that serious…" Max stumbled out some bullshit line, to give him time to think. "She's like family to me… She's everything to me…"

"I know… that's why I thought I would ask for your help here…" Sid offered. "I needed to know that you were okay with this. I wanted to deal with any backlash before it got back to her. I'm more nervous talking to you about it then her parents…"

"Have you asked her parents?" Max asked quickly.

"No, I thought I would to talk to them at Christmas. They are coming down," Sid explained.

"Oh…" Max returned his gaze to the busy street, letting out a slow breath into the cold, damp air. Amber's parents were so traditional, he was surprised to hear they were leaving Montreal. She wasn't even allowed to come to Helsinki until the day after Christmas when he played for Team Canada in the World Juniors because her parents said she needed to be at home for the holidays.

"Can we go inside? I am freezing my balls off here…" Sid pleaded once more.

"I don't know man… that's a lot to take in… I think I need a minute to compute."

"Okay, fair enough. Take your time. I do need your support. It still matters a lot to her and after everything… I thought we were heading in the right direction," Sid let the door go and walked out to where Max was standing on the wide boulevard.

"So you're asking her at Christmas?" Max asked.

"No… she hates that, says it's cheating… I am going to ask her in Vancouver, when we play the Canucks… that's where we first…" Sid stopped talking and looked at his feet. He could feel his cheeks getting warm with embarrassment. It was still too hard to talk to Max about their relationship. "That's the plan anyway…"

"Yeah… no, that's good… she'll like that…" Max responded slowly as he stood staring out over the traffic on the busy city street.

Sid and Max stood together silently for what seemed like an eternity. Sid chewed on his bottom lip. He knew it was a risk bringing Max with him but he thought it would be better in the long run – better then him finding out from someone else. Sid could deal with any backlash before it made its way back to the dressing room. He was prepared for anything.

"Okay… l can do this…" Max finally said, shaking his head vigorously, psyching himself up. He turned around and opened the door of the jewellery store and walked inside, letting the door close behind him. Sid weaved his way through the oncoming people on the side walk and followed him inside.

-.-

Max watched as Sid picked up ring after ring, inspecting each and then putting them down. It was now ticking on over an hour and Max was getting frustrated to say the least.

"For fuck's sake man, what was wrong with that one?"

"I dunno…" Sid shrugged. "It's just not the one…"

Sid moved to the next counter and pointed at another display of rings, which the sales woman dug out from beneath the glass. "This one's nice… what do you think of this one?" He asked Max.

Max looked down at the glistening stone in Sid's fingers. "They all look the same now man… we have looked at a thousand rings… just pick one already…"

"It needs to be perfect," Sid put the ring in between his fingers back down. "Do you have anything else?"

The saleswoman shook her head. "If there is something you have in mind, we have a designer on staff. We could make an appointment for you…"

Sid shook his head. "No, I am only in New York for the weekend… There was one back there that was nice, can I see that one again?"

"Of course," She said politely, as she put the tray of rings away. Max was amazed by how patient this woman was being. He wanted to stab himself in the eye with one of the sterling silver forks on the other side of the room rather then look at another freakin' ring.

As Sid headed back to the first counter they had been at, Max wandered around the large store. He winked at a cute, young sales girl who was busy cleaning the glass countertops. Maybe a quick distraction was what he needed. _'No,'_ he thought. _'What I need is a plan to stop this…'_ starring back over at Sid, scratching his head and pointing into the glass.

"Can I help you with something?" The young sales girl asks, approaching where Max was standing. Max leaned over the counter and gave her tight little body a once over. _'Concentrate on the task at hand, Max…'_ he warned himself.

"Actually maybe you can… I need a gift for someone… something not to flashy… but expensive… but not pretentious… Do you know what I mean?" Max asked the girl.

"Um, yeah… I think I know what you mean… let me show you some stuff…"

"That would be great," Max nodded, quickly checking over his shoulder to see if Sid was still occupied. Sure enough, he was still chatting with the sales woman and probably wouldn't decide on anything for hours.

-.-

"MOM!" Amber ran down the corridor at the airport and flung herself around her mom's neck. The airport was packed with people, busily trying to get to where they needed to be but Amber didn't care.

"Ma petite fille!" Amber's mom, Gabrielle, wept as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. Her father, Claude, pushed his way through the crowd with a cart of luggage and embraced his daughter.

"I am so glad you guys are here!"

"Well, I can certainly think of a thousand places I would rather be…"

"Dad, come on! Please don't be like that…"

"I heard the weather is bad, is all…"

"Yeah, we got a truck load of snow but it makes the City really pretty…" Amber tried to put a positive spin on it. She knew her parents weren't pleased about having to be away from Montreal during Christmas, but it was really important to her that they at least attempted to not be miserable.

"Well we can't wait to see! Where is this boy of yours?" her mother asked while looking around.

"He left last night for Washington, they have a game tonight but they should be home around midnight," Amber explained. "Come on, let's head out to the car."

Claude reached for the cart of luggage. "No dad, let Frank take that," Amber summoned to a man in a dress coat.

"Who's Frank? Your body guard?" Claude asked, eyeing the man up. "Doesn't look very big…"

"No Dad, he's my driver. When the weather is bad, Sid doesn't like me driving. I don't have a body guard."

"Why not? I have seen some of the things they are saying about you in the news… it's only a matter of time before some crazy person goes too far…"

"Oh my God dad, you sound ridiculous! People here are really respectful. The media is just trying to create story lines. Don't worry about me… you shouldn't even be watching that stuff!"

"It hard not to… that's my baby girl they are talking about…"

Amber just rolled her eyes and began walking towards the airport exit doors. Sid and her had talked about her having a body guard but it seemed absurd to her. She was hardly ever alone and the only people that usually approached her were over excited teenage girls. Amber knew that when they decided to start a family, she would stop arguing against a body guard, if for no other reason then to stop random people from touching her stomach while she was pregnant. Why did people do that? That creeped her out! For the time being, she was fine with the freedom to go where she wanted, when she wanted and not draw anymore attention to herself.

-.-

Amber sat with her mom in the sitting room off the kitchen. This room was referred to as the 'mom's' room because it seemed like every mom loved being in there. It was definitely a girly room, with white washed walls and four oversized comfy chairs. The shelves were lined with cookbooks and the fireplace was one of the only ones in the house that ever got used, as you couldn't be in this room without it – it just didn't seem right.

Trina returned with a tray of tea cups, as she had taken it upon herself to play hostess – even though it was Amber's house. _'No, no… you just sit and catch up… I'll do that…'_ She would say every time Amber made a motion to get up. She had to admit, it was kinda nice…

Troy had taken it upon himself to show her dad around. She was pretty sure that they hadn't made it past the awards room, Troy's favourite room in the house. He loved any opportunity to brag about his son.

"It must be hard for you to have your family away every holiday?" Gabrielle asked Trina, as she accepted her tea cup.

"It was at first but Sidney hasn't been home for Christmas since he was 15… we just got used to it…"

"I don't think that I will ever get used to it. Christmas is about being home with family," Gabrielle protested.

"Mom, please…" Amber just shook her head and looked at the floor. Her mom was famous for the guilt trips and she really didn't want to deal with them in front of Sid's mom. The woman finally seemed to be warming up to her and the last thing she needed was more tension.

"I am just saying… it will be a hard adjustment…" Gabrielle insisted.

"All the changes get easier with time," Trina assured her sympathetically. Gabrielle just turned her head and looked out the window. "Sid should be home soon… He has been looking forward to meeting you and Claude for quite some time."

"Really? Because he has been in Montreal a number of times since dragging our daughter out here. He could have stopped in… Max stops by every time they play at home," Gabrielle pointed out, knowing full well the situation that existed between Sid and Max.

"Well Sid's schedule is a lot busier then Max's… he can't just take off and go visiting… he has responsibilities," Trina responded sharply, increasing the level of defense for her son. Amber could feel the tension in the room climbing.

"If he really was interested in meeting us, he would have made the time…"

"Enough!" Amber said forcefully. "Mom, arretez d'essayer de creer un probleme! Trina, I am sorry, my mom is having a hard time with all of this…"

Trina just shrugged and sipped her tea. The room sat in quiet tension, as neither woman spoke to eat other.

"Perhaps, I should go check on the men," Trina placed her coffee cup down on the coffee table and lifted herself from the chair. Amber smiled up at her, as she gently placed her hand on her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

"That was rude mom," Amber turned to her mom as soon as Trina was out of earshot.

"It's the truth," Gabrielle shot back. "Max always makes time for family… why you need to be here with this other boy, is beyond your father and I."

"Max and I are not together anymore Mom. You need to accept that! We have both moved on."

"He hasn't. He still loves you."

"No mom… we've talked… he _has_ moved on…"

"No. He told me so himself, when he was home, not two weeks ago," Gabrielle protested. Amber grit her teeth and faced the window so her mom couldn't see her mouthing the swears that were flowing from her lips. "You need to stop playing pretend with this_ boy_ and go be with the man you are supposed to be with."

"How can you say that? You haven't even met him…"

"I don't need to meet him to know he isn't right for you… I know what they say about him in the papers…"

"Yeah mom, the_ Montreal_ papers… any hockey player that isn't on the Canadiens is slammed by them… that is hardly a good source…"

"It's not just what they say about him. Do you know what they say about you? Do you really expect me to sit back while my daughter's name is dragged through the mud? If you were with Max, nobody would care… we wouldn't have to get the looks from our friends that we get…"

"Well I am sorry that my life is affecting your wine club social standings… but it's my life…"

"You were happy with Max… you didn't need at this glitz and glamour to make you smile… he didn't buy your love, he earned it…"

"You don't know half the shit Max put me through, he was no angel! You make him out to be some kind of saint… You seem to forget _sooooo_ much… Sid would never put me through any of that!"

"Really, he has dragged you away from your job - which you loved - your family, your friends… everything you know. He has dragged you into his world with no regard for you."

"I am happy here Mom."

"Are you? Or are you just convincing yourself you are so you don't have to admit the truth?"

-.-

Sid walked in the side door of the house and put his bag down on the bench. He kicked off his shoes, stretching and yawning. It had been a long day and he was beat. He was excited to have the next couple of days off but knew they would be far from restful.

"Don't go in there!" his mother hissed quietly as she appeared around the corner.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Sid chuckled, as his mom very dramatically blocked the hallway with her body.

"Seriously, no matter what you do, you will not win these people over, you should just turn around and run…"

"Oh come on Mom… they can't be that bad!" Sid laughed nervously, removing his suit jacket and carefully folding it over his arm.

"Fine, go find out for yourself… but don't say I didn't warn you…"

Sid laughed and pushed past his mom into the hall, making his way to the kitchen. He could hear Amber's voice and couldn't wait to wrap his arms around her. It was going to be a great Christmas!

"I can't believe you are siding with HER! Don't you EVER think for yourself?"

"That's enough young lady! We don't approve and that is that…"

Sid stood at the entrance to the kitchen and watched Amber yelling at someone he assumed was her father. He turned behind him in a panic and saw his mom mouth the words 'Told ya so'.

Sid took a step into the room awkwardly. The yelling stopped, as everyone turned and looked at him.

"Oh thank God you're back!" Amber practically threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her head.

"What's going on?" He whispered into her hair.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter…" Amber pushed herself away from him. "Mom, Dad… this is Sidney…"

Sid stepped forward, extending his hand to Amber's father. Instead of extending his hand outward to him, Claude left his arms crossed over his chest, then walked over to his wife.

"I think we will be off to bed," He stated, putting his hands on Gabrielle's shoulders.

"Dad!" Amber cried in shock.

"Goodnight…" He said sharply, guiding Gabrielle off.

Sid turned to Amber. "What was that?"

-.-

"A BREAK? You want to take a BREAK?"

"It's just an idea…" Amber wiped the tears from her face.

"My parents didn't like you at first… but I dealt with that…" Sid threw his arms up in the air. He was tired and frustrated and this was the last thing that he wanted to deal with right now. He wanted to come home, shake hands, and then curl up in bed with his arms around Amber and fall asleep for hours and hours. Coming home to World War Three in his kitchen was not his idea of a good time.

"It's different…"

"HOW? How is it different?"

"Because… because I have been through a lot and they have always been there for me…"

"Oh I forgot, my parents put me on a raft up a river and hoped I could paddle… That's bullshit Amber! My parents are just as important to me… I thought you were committed to this relationship!"

"… I just… I need time to think… "

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do…"

"Then you don't need time to think… this should be easy…"

"There is more to a relationship then love…"

"What the FUCK did they say to you? Before they got here you were happy!"

"Was I?" Amber asked. "How would you know?"

Sid was pretty sure his heart sank to his knees. "What?"

"When was the last time you asked me? When was the last time we talked about anything?"

"We talk everyday… You knew I would be busy… you knew that better then anyone! You make my schedule for Christ sake! You can't pull that shit…"

"Then you can't make statements, assuming you know how I feel..."

Sid stood in front of her, seeing the pain in her face. It was a look that he had never seen before. "Are you really not happy?"

"I don't know… I just… please, just give me a minute to figure this out… I don't know what to do…"

"It's Christmas…"

"I know… I'm sorry… "

"We'll talk about this after Christmas," Sid snapped, then soften his tone. "I just wanted this year to be special… it's our first Christmas together… just, please… give me this…"

"I can't… my parents want to go stay at Max's… and I have never been away from them for Christmas…"

"There is no way IN HELL I am letting you spend Christmas with Max!"

"Sid… this isn't easy for me either but they're my parents! What do you want me to do?"

Sid just shook his head. He hadn't even done anything to piss her parents off yet and they already hated him. But it was more then that. Not only did they hate him – they loved Max. Sid wasn't sure which was worse.

"We will figure something out, okay? All I know is that I am not going to be without you for Christmas…" Sid stepped closer to Amber, pulling her arm to get her closer to him. He was going to say whatever he had to in order to get this 'break' idea out of her head. "I am sorry if you're not happy… just tell me what I have to do…"

Amber looked up at him with a sad look in her eyes. "I dunno what you can do…"

"Can we just agree to deal with it in the morning? I will talk to your parents, okay? Right now I just want to go to bed and wrap my arms around you…" He smiled down at her. It may have been one of those old clichés, but Sid's parents always said 'Don't go to bed mad'. They had been married for twenty-four years, so Sid figured there must have been something to it. He didn't know if delaying the problem counted as not going to bed mad but it worked for him.

"Okay… in the morning…" Amber laid her head on Sid's chest. "I am sorry…"

"Shhh… don't worry about it… it will all work out… we are going to have a great Christmas… _together…_" Sid reassured her before taking her hand and leading her up the stairs to their very comfy bed, which had been calling him since the team had touched down in Pittsburgh.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

"I don't know what to do Nat," Sid sat across the counter from Nathalie, picking at the corner of his phone. "What do I do? I can't let her go to Max's but her parents won't stay at my place for dinner… I practically begged… I was even going to try and bribe them…"

"That's rough Sid… I know how much this meant to you…" Nathalie shook her head and continued to wipe down her counters. She was quite surprised to find Sid standing at her door this morning. She knew Amber's parents were arriving and that he had gone out his way to plan an exciting day for them – taking them out for brunch, showing them around Pittsburgh and the new arena. She couldn't imagine a parent not falling in love with Sid, he really was a great guy – a good Canadian kid. "Do you want me to talk to them? I don't know if I would be much help…"

"I don't know… my mom tried and I think she pissed them off even more. She got really defensive… I don't know why they hate me so much…"

"Think Max talked to them?"

"No. Him and I are doing pretty good right now…" Sid shook his head. "I even played wing man for him in New York when he took the Tiffany's sales girl back to the hotel…"

"Tiffany's? What were you doing at Tiffany's?" Nathalie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ummm… I was just b-b-browsing…" Sid stuttered, but he could tell that he was turning red.

"Browsing in any particular section?" Nathalie pushed, knowing by his reaction that she was right on the money.

"Maybe…" Sid shrugged, smiling shyly down at the counter. "I wasn't going to ask her at Christmas, so don't get too excited… I have a plan but… but I have to get through Christmas first… can we concentrate please?"

"What about Mario talking to them? They might respond to that, he can be pretty persuasive…" Nathalie suggested.

"Think he would? I mean, he hasn't really said anything about her… I don't want him going in there and making things worse…"

"Yeah… maybe I'll talk to them first…" Nathalie admitted. Mario still had mixed emotions on Amber and Sid was right, it could easily go the wrong way. "Do you want to bring them here? Or… Do you want me to come by your place? Maybe this afternoon?"

"I think they are packing their bags right now…" Sid stated quickly.

"Oh… so a little more urgent is what you're saying?" Nathalie chuckled. "I'll just go tell the kids that I am heading out."

"Thank-you."

-.-

Sid opened the front door for Nathalie and helped her step inside. As they walked into the entrance way, they were met by Amber's parents, coming down the stairs with their suitcases in tow. Amber was standing right behind them, still on the stairs, with a string of tears coming down her face.

Sid exchanged a quick look with Nathalie.

"Bonjour. Vous devez etre les parents d' Amber?"

"Oui. Qui-etes vous?"

"Mon nom est Nathalie Lemiuex." Nathalie said while stepping forward to shake the hands of Amber's Mom and Dad.

'_Oh sure shake her hand,_' Sid thought to himself, watching them exchange pleasantries. Claude and Gabrielle seemed to recognize the name as the wife of their Quebec hero and paid her due respect.

"Peut-on parler?" Nathalie continued.

Gabrielle and Claude exchanged looks and then Claude nodded in agreement.

"Sid, can we use your office?" Nathalie asked. Sid just nodded and watched as Nathalie guided them down the hall.

"Getting Nathalie? That is your great plan?" Amber asked sarcastically.

"No… my great plan was locking them in the pantry… You should be happy Nathalie talked some sense into me!" Sid responded. Amber chuckled, but Sid was serious.

-.-

Sid and Amber sat patiently at the kitchen table. Amber picked at her nails and Sid chewed his lip. Sid looked up at the clock. They had been sitting there for exactly one hour, six minutes and thirty two seconds. Thirty three. Thirty four. Sid watched as the second hand ticked down. He wasn't sure what Nathalie was going to say, or if she would be able to convince Amber's parents that he wasn't the devil but he was the best hope he had. Sid reached over and put his hand on top of Amber's, running his thumb reassuringly over the soft tissue. She looked up at him and smiled.

"What do you think is going on in there?" Amber asked.

Sid just shrugged, starring down the hall. He heard the door of his office open before he saw Nathalie step and gently close the door behind her. They both climbed out of from their chairs, as Nathalie came into the room.

"So?" Sid asked eagerly.

"Okay… I did the best I could…" Nathalie begun.

"What does that mean?" Amber exchanged looks with Sid.

"I couldn't quite get you out of Christmas dinner with Max and the Talbots but I did manage to get you Christmas Day _together_…"

"We have to go to Max's?" Sid asked. "My parents will NEVER go for that…"

"No, not quite. They are all going to come to our house… and so are you and your parents… neutral territory…" Nathalie explained. "I am not quite sure how I am going to fit you all but I will figure something out…"

"Okay, that's not so bad…" Amber admitted.

"It's the best I could do… They do want to leave tonight though… I offered them the guest house at our place, and I think they are going to come but they are talking about that right now."

"So I have to spend Christmas Eve without my parents?" Amber asked, fighting back tears. Sid wrapped his arm around her to comfort her but she shrugged him off.

"They are still deciding but you know that you are always welcome at our house as well," Nathalie comforted her.

"No. I really want Christmas Eve here…" Sid protested, turning to Amber. "It's our first year together in this house …"

"Sid, everyone else is compromising… its time for you to do the same…" Nathalie warned.

Sid crossed his arms across his chest and furrowed his brow. "Fine whatever…" he muttered.

"Now who wants to tell Mario that Max is coming to dinner again?"

-.-

Amber's parents decided to stay at the Lemieux's, even after their daughter's pleading. Sid drove them the couple of blocks and delivered them to the doorstep of his former landlords.

"You are sure there is nothing that I can do to convince you? I know this is killing Amber…" Sid pleaded one last time, while pulling their suitcases out of his trunk.

"There are consequences for all decisions," Claude stated simply while pulling his luggage away from Sid.

Sid watched as they pulled their bags up the stairs towards Nathalie who stood at the open door. "Breakfast will be ready for nine but the kids will be up much earlier then that, so come by whenever you wake up," she said down to Sid, as she greeted Amber's parents. He nodded his understanding and climbed back to his vehicle, pulling out of the driveway to make his way back to his place.

"Did they say anything?" Amber asked as she met Sid at the door.

"No sweetie – nothing, just that they will see us in the morning," Sid lied. Hearing what her dad had actually said would only put her further into her slump and he was determined to salvage what was left of this holiday. "I promised Dan that I would stop in to say Merry Christmas to his son today and I need to drop by a couple of the guys places and drop off some gifts… come with me? Tonight I was thinking we could go for a walk and look at Christmas lights, then have dinner and watch a Christmas movie. I would like to start some kind of tradition."

"I am not feeling very festive," Amber admitted sadly. "I think I am going to go lay down."

"I'll come with you…" Sid offered.

"I think I would rather be alone," Amber said softly.

"No!" Sid snapped. He could tell that his reaction took Amber off guard, as she stared at him with wide eyes. He couldn't stand watching his plans disintegrate; he couldn't stand watching her be so upset.

"It's Christmas Eve. We are supposed to be together and we are supposed to be happy. Come on… give it a chance!" Sid pleaded, softening his tone.

"Wanna open a present?" He asked quickly, trying to prevent another round of tears that he sensed were about to flow.

"Sid…"

"I've got nothing else to offer you. I can't change how they feel. I can't change how they are acting. All I can do, is try to make the best of it… but you have to help me… I don't know what else to do."

Amber stood in place and looked at the floor. "You think this is how I envisioned this Christmas? You think this is what I want? You can't just offer me a present and expect me to feel better! This is my family! They are all I have!"

"No! You have me!"

"Oh right… lucky me!" Amber snapped sarcastically. "I guess I forgot to count my blessings today…"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Sid hissed. "I am not the enemy here! None of this is my fault… All I can do is try to make it better..." he walked up to her and took her hands in his. "Tell me what you want. I'll do it." He pulled her hand up to his face, pressing her cold skin to his lips. He moved down the outside of her hand, then flipped her hand over and kissed down the inside of her wrist. "Anything," he whispered, pulling her face up to his. He could feel her try to turn away but he just held her face tighter. He pressed his lips firmly to hers. He pushed her back against the front door forcefully, pinning her arms against the wall to stop her struggle. He continued to kiss her, his urgency increasing as he could feel her resistance melting. He let go of her wrists and moved his hands up her body, lifting her up around his waist while kissing down her neck. He could feel her digging her nails into his scalp, as she rolled her head back exposing her neck. He kissed down her neck, down to the collar of her shirt just at the top of her breasts. He returned his lips to hers as he pulled her away from the door, with his hands on her ass and turned towards the staircase. He carefully moved his way up the stairs, his tongue still tangling with hers. He pushed his way into their bedroom and lowered her down to the bed. With one motion he removed his sweater up over his head and then pushed her shirt up over hers. He kissed a trail down her chest and over her stomach, running his hands down over the sides of her body till he reached the waist of her jeans, undoing the button and fly and pulling them off.

Sid moved back up to her lips, pressing his firmly against hers. Her response was less then enthusiastic but Sid pressed on, pushing his tongue between her lips. He ran his hand up over her bare stomach to her breast, cupping the soft tissue that perfectly filled his hand. He kissed his way down over her chin and followed her jaw line to the corner of her neck. He stopped as he tasted her salty tears that stained her cheek. He pulled back and looked up to her face. Amber laid there with her eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down her face.

"Amber… what's going on?" Sid asked softly and slightly out of breath, brushing her tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"I can do this… just keep going… I'm fine…" Amber said between sobs.

"You're crying! I'm not going to keep going! This doesn't exactly inspire love making…" Sid said exasperated. "We don't have to do this… I just thought it would make you feel better…"

"I'm sorry…" Amber sobbed, rolling on her side, away from him.

Sid said nothing. He wrapped his arms around Amber and pulled her into him, stroking her hair as she sobbed. There were a lot of things he wanted to do right now – scream, punch the wall, take her advice and power through – but somehow none of them seemed right. The only thing he thought was right was holding her until she fell asleep and then disappear to the bathroom to deal with the crazy hard-on he was rocking.

-.-

Amber rolled over and watched Sid sleep. He was so content, like nothing could bother him. She wished she felt the same way. Amber slowly lifted the blanket and slipped out of the bed, careful not to make and jostling motions. She grabbed her house coat and tip toed towards the bedroom door, stepping outside into the hallway, pulling the door tight behind her. She crept down the stairs to the kitchen where she had left her cell phone. She picked it up and dialed.

"_Allo?_"

"Hey, it's Amber."

"_I swear I didn't do it…"_

"Do what?" Amber asked innocently, knowing full well what Max was referring to.

"_You know… make your parents leave. They had talked to my mom before they left and she had offered them a room at my place… I had nothing to do with it!"_

"So, this was planned before they even left Montreal? They had already decided they weren't going to like him?"

"_I dunno… Je suppose que c'est le droit. You know how your parents are,"_ he explained.

"Whatever, that's not why I am calling…" Amber cut him off. Sid had enough choice words to describe her parents and she certainly didn't need to hear anymore. "Max – I need you to promise me that you aren't going to cause any problems tomorrow. Nothing. I can't handle any more…" She broke off, choking back tears.

"_Of course baby, it's Christmas –"_

"Don't call me baby. I'm not yours. You get that right?"

"_Seriously, I thought we had moved on? Why are you bringing that up?"_

"Believe me I don't want to bring it up but my mom said that you told her that you weren't over me."

"_Your mom is crazy! Why would I say that?" _

"I don't know Max and quite frankly I don't have the strength to deal with it anymore. I need you to promise me, you aren't going to start anything tomorrow…"

"_It's Christmas… I am just happy that I get to see you. It will be like old times."_

"Maxxxxx… just promise me."

"_Okay!"_

"Say the words!"

"_I promise."_

"Okay, I will see you tomorrow morning."

"_Bonne Nuit."_

"Joyeux Noel."

-.-

Max stared down at the phone in his hand and felt his heart ache but a smile soon crept over his face. His plan was working perfectly. It was just a matter of time. The seeds of doubt had clearly been placed in her mind by her parents. He hadn't anticipated Sid calling Nathalie in to convince her parents to change their Christmas plans but he should have known better. Regardless, he still got to spend Christmas with Amber. '_It might actually work out better this way'_, Max thought to himself. Her parents would create all the drama and he could be there to innocently pick up the pieces. If he knew one thing about his team mate, it was that he couldn't stand people not liking him. It would drive him mad and it would be fun to watch. For the first time in a long time, Max would have more people on his side then Sid would.

Looking around the room at his brothers and parents, who he knew all believed that him and Amber should be together, he felt good about his chances.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

"You guys are late!" Austin yelled, throwing the door open and then taking off down the hall. Sid laughed as he walked inside, offering Amber his hand as she stepped in behind him.

"What took you guys so long?" Lauren came around the corner and hugged each of them, offering to take Amber's coat.

"It's 9:02! Cut us some slack!" Sid laughed. Amber just smiled and shrugged her coat off her shoulders, letting it fall into Sid's hands and then get whisked away by Lauren. Sid led her into the next room, the large formal living room, where it seemed like hundreds of people had gathered. The six Lemieuxs, and Nathalie's mom from Quebec, the five Talbots and the three Crosbys, and her parents, who not surprisingly were the only ones in the room not smiling and talking. Even without their contribution, the room was very loud, to say the least.

Sid walked over to his parents and gave them a hug. Amber walked over to hers and did the same, taking a seat between them. She looked over at Max and gave him a little nod. He smiled back and she took that as an acknowledgment of their conversation.

Nathalie came in and another round of hugs ensued.

"Can we open our stockings now?" Alexi jumped up and down in front of the tree.

"Yes, but that's it before breakfast! No presents yet! Do you hear me?"

Alexi nodded as she leapt across the room and practically dove to her stocking. The rest of the kids followed suit, Mario stepping in to hand out the rest of the stockings to the adults.

-.-

Sid watched across the room, as Amber sat on the floor, laughing with Max's brothers, as if they were her own brothers. He understood that they all grew up together, so there was a special bond but he couldn't help but be a little jealous. He wished he could be in on the bond, but Max's brothers were fairly clear about their opinion of Sid and Amber. They hadn't said anything but every time Amber went near Sid, or vice versa, they would step in between them. He thought his biggest problem was going to be Max but so far, he seemed to be the best behaved Talbot there.

Amber watched happily as the kids ripped open their presents that Sid and her had picked out for them. The adults of course were much slower with the unwrapping of their gifts but equally as pleased. Amber had really taken the time to pick out just the right gifts for everyone - which considering her crowd as not an easy feat. Sid would try to creep in closer to Amber as she reached for a present from him but was blocked continually by Max's younger brother, Frankie – as if he had been assigned point-guard. He could only watch from afar as she opened his gifts – a purse she had been eyeing, a couple of books, a new laptop and a Burberry trench coat that she had actually bought herself on his behalf, as she couldn't justify buying it herself. Everyone had 'ohh-ed' and 'ahh-ed' when she opened the elaborate diamond necklace and matching ear rings that he had given her but he couldn't get anywhere near her to see if she liked them. After passing it around, for everyone to examine, she carefully closed the box and placed it on the pile behind her - not exactly the reaction he had hoped for. She looked up at him and smiled. That gave him hope that she would thank him properly when he could finally get to her, which was bound to happen eventually – he just had to wait it out.

"This one is for Amber, too," Lauren said, pulling out a small box from under the tree.

"That's from me…" Max confessed, smiling at Amber, as Lauren passed the gift across the room. Sid felt himself sit up a little straighter as he watched Amber's smile fade. He could tell from her reaction that she was thinking the same thing he was – that this couldn't end well. Amber cautiously accepted the gift, flashing Max a warning glare. Everyone watched as Amber slowly pulled the silver ribbon off the blue wrapped box and pulled away the wrapping paper, exposing the signature blue box.

"_Tiffany's_? Max!" She exclaimed.

"Open it!" Her mom insisted, nudging her from behind.

Amber slowly opened the box. As she looked down, she could feel her eyes well up and could do nothing to contain the single tear that escaped from her eye. She immediately stood up and crossed the room, wrapping her arms around Max's neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Max wrapped his hands around her waist and shot a devilish little smile at Sid. Sid stood up protectively and clenched his fists.

"What is it?" Nathalie asked walking over from the other side of the room, the look of concern obviously on her face, watching the scene unfold in front of her. She didn't want any more dramatics as she placed her hand on Sid's shoulder, half trying to calm him, half trying just to hold him back.

"It's an 87," Amber said, pulling back from Max's chest. She opened the box again, removing the small silver chain with a small silver charm dangling from the end of it.

"You used to wear my number around your neck and it was good luck for me… I just thought Sid needed the boost," Max laughed, smiling down at her. Amber removed it from the little box and passed it to Max, as she swept her hair around to the front over her shoulder, allowing him to place the chain around her neck. Amber looked up at Sid and smiled. He forced a smile back at her but couldn't help but be suspicious.

'_What is he doing?'_ Sid thought to himself, as Max did the delicate chain up then leaned in and kissed the side of her head from behind.

Sid watched as Amber walked over to her mom and showed her the necklace. His mom and Nathalie joined in the admiring of the small charm but Sid couldn't help but wonder what the hidden purpose was of this gift, as he glared at Max across the room.

-.-

"See… he knows you better," Gabrielle started. "You don't need all that flashy stuff."

"Mom, please don't! It's Christmas!" Amber pleaded, sitting on the bed of the guest room that she had once stayed in. It was now a temporary residence for her parents, as they refused to stay in Sid's house. She had offered to help her mom carry their gifts up to the bedroom, in order to get some time alone with her, not to start another fight.

"He is just trying to buy you. None of that stuff is you. He bought you a slow cooker cookbook, for crying out loud! So you can what? Make him dinner?" Her mom rolled her eyes, clearly displeased at the gifts she had received. Amber was fairly certain that Sid could have given her the moon and it wouldn't have been enough.

"It's an inside joke, Mom… He doesn't expect me to cook for him… He doesn't expect anything," Amber tried to explain but had the definite feeling that she was wasting her breath.

"Oh please! Of course he does! And you better meet those expectations… How long do you think it will take for him to get bored with you, if you don't? You better keep the polish on the trophy," Gabrielle warned.

"MOM! ENOUGH!" Amber yelled and stood up from the bed. "Sid is NOT like that!"

"They are all like that… except Max… he loves you."

"Enough about Max…"

"You are just being naïve," her mom continued. "You want to think so well of him…"

"I CAN'T DO THIS!" Amber screamed at the top of her lungs. "You have absolutely no reason to hate him! He hasn't done anything to you! This is my decision… if you can't accept it… LEAVE!"

Gabrielle stared blankly at her daughter. "Fine… we'll leave."

Amber blinked wildly at her mother's response. That was not the answer she had expected. Her parents were stubborn but they valued family and being together above all. She couldn't believe her mother could act this way. She watched as her mom leaned over the side of the bed and pulled her suitcase up. "Go tell your father to come and pack."

Amber turned and faced the door, heading out of the room. "I don't get it mom… just tell me why…"

"I just want the best for you and can't stand by while you make a huge mistake… I hope for your sake, that you are right about him… but we will be here for you when you come around," Her mom offered in explanation, without looking up.

-.-

"I was like, 'What do you mean they are leaving?'" Sid asked. "That's all she said…I thought things were going alright… I mean, I knew they weren't exactly happy but I didn't think they would just get up and leave…"

"Me too…" Trina shook her head. "I don't know what is wrong with these people… You know how many parents would die for their daughters to date you? I get hundreds of offers a day! They should be so lucky to have their daughter taken such good care of…"

Sid tuned his mother out. She was going on and on about Amber's parents – clearly another person not happy with the current situation – but complaining about it wasn't going to help. He had to do something but everything he tried to do seemed to back fire. Sid had put a lot of thought into their Christmas presents. He had gotten them watches, season tickets to the Opera de Montreal, which Amber had said they loved, and had arranged for a private, exclusive wine tour of some of the Quebec wineries for them and their entire wine club. Sid had even arranged for them to have an open ended ticket with an airline, so any time they wanted to come to Pittsburgh they could. They just scoffed and complained about how they shouldn't have to leave home to see their daughter. Nothing seemed to please them.

"Mom, that's not helping right now…" Sid said softly.

"I'm sorry son… you've just got yourself quite a situation here…" Trina stopped her complaining. "How is Amber handling it?"

"She's not… She won't talk to me, she'll barely look at me… Her parents are really important to her. I was surprised when Amber told me she _told_ them to leave," Sid admitted.

"Well I guess when enough is enough…"

"I just don't want her to regret it… or blame _me_ for it…"

"How could she blame you? _I knew it! _What did you do?" Trina hissed, smacking her son.

"Mom!" Sid exclaimed, rubbing the spot his mom had connected with. "I didn't do anything! But she wouldn't be dealing with any of this if it wasn't for me… and believe me, she is thinking it! I am sure Max won't let her forget it…"

"Oh never mind Max! That necklace was a nice gesture…" Trina pointed out.

"Was it? Or was it part of his plan?"

"What does_ that _mean?"

"I dunno mom… I just have a bad feeling that everything he does has a hidden agenda. I have a hard time believing he just gave up on her like that. You didn't see him this summer. He was plotting and scheming and… and I know Max… he doesn't give up," Sid chewed on his bottom lip.

-.-

"Is 'dat everything?" Max asked, picking up the last suitcase and placing it in the trunk of his car. Amber's parents nodded, and opened the backdoor of the SUV. They had asked Max to drive them to a hotel at the airport, as they couldn't get a flight out till the morning. His parents had tried to convince them to stay but they were determined to go home.

"You forgot this…" Sid approached the car from the front door, handling them the package that contained the instructions on arranging the free flights.

"You can probably keep that. I don't think we will be returning," Claude explained.

"I hope you will re consider," Sid offered. "It means a lot to Amber… You should know, I love your daughter, more then anything. I know you don't think that I am good enough, or that Max here is better for her, but I am going to do everything in the world to make her happy and I don't know what more that I can do to convince you…"

Sid watched as Claude and Gabrielle exchanged looks and then turned to Max, telling him they were ready to leave, seemingly untouched by his outpour. Trina had said that Amber pouring her heart out in a desperate plea had worked on her and that maybe he should try the same thing. But it didn't seem to work. Nothing worked. He was lost for words now as he watched them climb into the car.

"I guess you didn't get a chance to ask them if you could marry her," Max smirked as he opened his drivers side door.

Sid grabbed the back of Max's collar, spun him around and pushed him up against the side of the car. "If I find out you had anything to do with this, I will ruin you."

"No man, I didn't do this… this is all them," Max shook his head, pushing Sid away. "I was totally rooting for you but they are a tough crowd. Maybe in time… but I doubt it. Good luck though."

Max climbed into the drivers seat, smiling to himself. The necklace had the perfect effect but the hatred of Amber's parents – well, that was just fantastic. He couldn't have planned that better if he tried – the extra leg work before they had arrived had totally been worth it.

"Etes-vous d'accord?" Gabrielle asked very concerned, after watching through the window as Sid slammed him up against the glass.

"I told you… I worry about her. He has such a bad temper… and she would just do anything for him. Who knows what he is doing to her behind closed doors. I think she is just to afraid to leave him… It's sad, really, how he can get such smart women wrapped around his finger," Max shook his head, putting on his best act.

"Oh Max, what are we going to do?" Claude sighed.

"It was best that you decided to leave, maybe that will spark something in her. But don't worry. If it didn't, it won't be long till he disposes of her anyway, like he does all the _other_ women. I will be here for her," Max assured them through a field of lies.

"You have always been there for her. She should be glad to have such a good friend in her life," Gabrielle added, shaking her head.

"She will always have me," Max added, putting the car in drive and making his way out of the airport. _'And soon, I'll have her,'_ He thought to himself.

-.-

"Are you going to talk to me tonight?" Sid asked, stepping into their bedroom. Amber was sprawled out across their bed on her stomach, flipping channels aimlessly.

"When was I not talking to you?" Amber asked without looking up.

"You were pretty quiet last night… and you haven't said two words to me today," Sid pointed out.

"Well it's been kind of a crazy day, in case you didn't notice…" Amber responded dryly.

"Of course I – whatever - I was just hoping that we would have spent some time together, make some memories – "

"Oh there will be memories – I kicked my parents out for fuck sakes – this is definitely a Christmas I will never forget…"

"That's not the kind of memories I meant…"

"Really? Gee I had totally planned that out… I think we should do it every year… you wanted traditions right?" Amber hissed back sarcastically. She threw the remote on the bed and slid off, heading towards the bathroom.

"Okay, I get that you are pissed but you don't need to be a bitch to me… I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Sid screamed after her.

"Yeah, you are right!" She turned to him and yelled back. "You didn't do a fucking thing! Nathalie did and your parents and Max's parents… all tried to talk to them but what did you do?"

"I talked to them! They wouldn't listen to a word I said! But don't worry, Max was right there guiding them along!"

"Stop blaming Max for everything! YOU fucked up! YOU let me down today! YOU! Not Max…"

"Oh right… Max was perfect today wasn't he? A regular Prince Charming… and I was just the bastard that got in the way of your storybook ending to them, wasn't I? Everyone wanted you to marry the boy next door… the guy who treats you like shit…"

"He doesn't treat me like shit…" Amber argued.

"Really? I may just be a retarded hockey player to you but from what I have heard, your relationship was far from healthy!"

"He loved me…"

"He loved you? And I don't? Is that what you're saying? Oh fuck… Not you too…"

"I didn't say it…"

"Is that what you think? IS THAT WHAT YOU _REALLY _THINK?" Sid yelled at the top of his lungs.

Amber didn't answer, she just turned and face the wall. Sid's heart was pounding in his chest so loud he couldn't hear his own thoughts. Sid could feel his legs getting weak, as he collapsed to his knees on the ground in front of the bed. "Is that what you think?" He repeated one more time, softer.

"No… I don't think so… I don't know what I think… I am so confused right now… I thought everything was great, but then…" Amber sat on the edge of the bed and just looked at him. They sat in silence, starring at each other. Sid leaned forward and rested his head in her lap. He felt her run her hands through his head and took his opportunity to calm himself down. Just having her touch him, made things seem right again. He shook his head in disbelief, as he thought back to the time when he thought that getting her had been the hardest part of their relationship. Then finding her again. Then he had convinced himself that telling Max, was the hardest part of their relationship. Then getting past Nathalie and Mario, then his parents, holding her hand through dealing with the media – all considered to be huge hurdles, one harder then the next. Those were all supposed to be harder then this. He didn't think that meeting Amber's parents was going to be hard. Max had said they were great people. He had said that they would love him. He was so full of shit. _'I bet he knew all along,"_ Sid thought to himself. _'He knew I stood no chance with these people and…"_

"This is exactly what he wants… He wants us to be fighting… he totally fucking planned this!" Sid muttered to himself, as he sat up with a bolt of clarity.

"What?" Amber asked.

"Nothing… it doesn't matter…" Sid stood up and pulled her up to him. He wasn't going to let Max win.

"What matters is us, right now, in this moment. Let's start over. Let's work something out. I love you and want you to be happy and there is nothing that I wouldn't do," Sid began. "If you want me to go talk to your parents right now, I will and I won't leave until they love me… I might be ninety years old but if that's what you want, I will do it!"

Amber let out a single chuckle and reached for him. "No, they don't seem to want to see reality. I don't think that you can get through to them any better then I can. Don't waste your breath. I like the idea of starting fresh though, just us."

"Tell me you love me… and we can go from there…"

Amber smiled at him, the kind of smile that melted his heart. "I love you."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six**

"Okay guys, we still have a chance to come back out there… we just need to block the twins and get the puck out of our end… Let's go out there and get to our game…" Sid did his best to get the guys back into it. The truth was that they were dying out there and those Swedish freaks seemed to be unstoppable. They were down 4-1 and he was running out of steam. He was tired and sore but he knew that there was a lot of guys on the team that were in worse shape and most of them got to enjoy the All-Star break. Of course he had to play but it was far from the hard hitting, ball rattling games they had been playing recently. It would be nice to play just an easy, fun game for a change.

"K, lets get out there and kick some ass…"

The cheers came from around the room as everyone got back up and headed down the hallway to the ice. Sid really wanted to win this one. He needed the confidence boost. Tonight was going to be the night. Him and Amber had been through a rough patch but they had come out stronger. Her parents would come around in time. He was convinced that Max had said or done something to poison them against him but he couldn't prove it and he certainly wasn't going to give Max the satisfaction of asking. In fact, Sid was pretty sure that Max had been madder then hell when he and Amber showed up hand in hand to the New Year's Eve Party. He could tell by the look on Max's face – one of pure shock – that them still being together, didn't fit into Max's plan.

Sid gave Dupes a fist bump – the last of the guys to exit the room and followed after him.

-.-

"Wow! Can you change goalies just for the shoot out? If you can… the Canucks should really do it… Lou sucks at shoot outs… I mean don't get me wrong, I love Lou but come on! Has he won one yet this year?" Sid watched with a smile, as Amber chatted about the game. The team had really pulled through tonight with three goals in the third, taking them to overtime. Overtime had produced nothing, so Sid went in and shut it down in the shoot out. Amber was right, Lou wasn't very good in the shoot out but he would have liked a little credit for the shot he did get past him. It was a beauty.

The bus pulled up in front of the hotel and everyone filed out. There were crowds of people, waiting for autographs and Sid dutifully indulged them. He watched as Amber disappeared ahead of them, surely making her way up to their hotel room. Sid had convinced Carol-Lynn, Dupuis' wife, to come on the trip with their new baby, so that he could blame her for Sid needing his own room. That way nobody would suspect the reasons why Amber was along for the trip as well. Only Max knew the real reason Amber was here but Sid was pretty sure that Max thought he was going to chicken out, especially since he didn't get permission from Amber's parents first. Sid was old fashioned but he was also determined.

After signing till his hand cramped up, Sid made his way up to their room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sid asked, as he walked into the room. Amber stood in front of the sink, brushing her teeth. She had already changed out of the dress she had on, into baggy sweatpants and a penguins t-shirt.

"mmmmat?" Amber asked, her mouth full of toothpaste.

"I wanted to go out…" Sid explained.

Amber spit into the sink and rinsed. "You didn't say anything…"

"I'm hungry…"

"I'm tired… just order room service," She offered.

"I arranged for us to have a car," Sid whined.

"Well go see if one of the guys wants to go with you."

"I don't want to go with one of _the guys_, I wanted to have dinner with you!"

"We can have dinner right here! Let's just order some over priced, over cooked seafood, rent a bad movie on pay-per-view and curl up… I'll even let you pick the movie… just no porn…"

"No! Get dressed! We are going out!"

"No… I am staying here," Amber climbed under the blankets and reached for the remote.

"Listen, you either get dressed or I take you out like that but one way or another we are going out… I will give you one minute to decide," Sid warned her.

"What? Are you going to carry me through the lobby in my pyjamas?" Amber laughed.

"Yes, if I have to," Sid crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You have thirty seconds..."

"I am not going anywhere," Amber glared at him.

"Ten… nine… eight…"

"You wouldn't dare Crosby!"

"Three… two… Seriously? You are going to make me do this?"

Amber just smiled and turned her attention back to flipping channels. Sid stared down at her. '_Why does she have to be so damn stubborn!_' he thought to himself.

"FINE!" He walked over to the side of the bed where she laid, pulled the blanket back and scooped her up, all before she even had a chance to protest. He flipped her over his shoulder and headed towards the hotel room door.

"PUT ME DOWN!" She yelled, while kicking her legs and pushing herself away from his back.

"Are you going to get dressed?"

"LET GO OF ME!" she continued struggling.

Sid opened the door to the room and stepped out into the hall. A couple of the guys were hanging out, chatting in the hallway as Sid walked past them, Amber still hanging over his shoulder. They all turned and watched, laughing at the spectacle, as Sid hit the button on the elevator.

"Fine! I will get dressed! Put me down! I don't even have socks on!" Amber protested one more time.

"Promise? If I put you down, will you go get dressed?"

"YES!"

Sid lowered her to the floor and watched as she straightened her clothes. "Go get dressed then…"

Amber turned on her heels and stomped back to the room, with Sid close behind her. He wasn't going to let her get too far ahead, so she could lock him out of the room.

-.-

"I'll have a large double-double and a strawberry jam buster and a large hot chocolate and a bagel with light cream cheese," Sid stated firmly into the intercom of the Tim Horton's drive through.

"Can't you just have a donut like a regular Canadian?" Amber protested, looking over a Sid.

Sid rolled his eyes and turned back to the intercom. "And can I have _one_ chocolate Timbit?" he turned back to Amber and asked 'Happy?' as if having a donut was about to kill him.

The girl at the window handed him his order and paused briefly as she took a second look. Sid quickly handed her the money and pulled out of the drive-through. He knew exactly where he was going, even though he had only been there once before.

He steered the car up the winding road and pulled into an empty parking lot. He looked over at Amber, who despite Sid's protests to wait was sneaking a bit of her donut.

"Hey, I said to wait! You're going to get icing sugar all over the place!"

"What do you care? It's not your car!"

"Just wait a minute!" Sid opened the driver's side door and climbed out. He opened the trunk and grabbed out a bag that he had packed. He pulled the blanket out of the bag and laid it out across the hood of the car, then walked around to Amber's door and opened it.

"Come on out… grab your coffee…" Sid instructed her, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the car. He helped her up onto the roof of the car, climbing up beside her. "Does this look familiar?"

"Um… should it?" Amber asked back, looking around. She smiled to herself. Of course she recognized where they were…

"This is where we came… before the gold medal game… you had the exact same thing… remember?" Sid pointed to the donut and coffee.

"When I kidnapped you… oh my God, I could have gotten in so much trouble!" Amber laughed, leaning back against the windshield.

"That's the night I fell in love with you…" Sid said softly, looking over at her. "That's the night I knew that you were all I ever wanted…" He took her hand and pulled it up to his lips.

"You're so full of shit…" Amber rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"There is no way you knew that night!"

"I did!" Sid protested. "Could you just not argue with me…I am trying to be romantic here!"

"You can be romantic without being cheesy…"

"Cheesy? I am not being cheesy!"

"stinky cheese…" Amber teased, poking him.

"Anyways… what I was trying to say, is that I love you… is that cheesy?"

"No, its not. I love you too…" Amber leaned in and kissed Sid lightly on the lips.

"I brought you here for a reason…" Sid moaned into her mouth.

"To do me on the hood of a car, like you wanted to last time?" Amber asked with a smile.

"No but I wouldn't say no…" Sid smiled then slid off the hood of the car and pulled her close to him. "I brought you here to ask you a very important question…"

Amber watched as Sid reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small silver box. He lowered himself to one knee and looked up at her.

"Amber, I could have asked you this the last time we were here and been just as sure…"

"Sid…" Amber gasped as he opened the little box.

"Will you marry me?" Sid heard the tremble in his voice, but hoped that she hadn't. He didn't want her to think that he was anything less then 100% sure of this decision because he wasn't. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was the woman for him. But he was nervous that she wouldn't feel the same and her current pause wasn't helping.

Sid looked up at her face and watched a small tear trickle down her cheek. "Yes… of course I will…"

"Really? For real?" It was all he could do to stop himself from full out tackling her. He grabbed her up into his arms and buried his face into her hair. He could feel her arms wrap around him tightly and finally was able to fully exhale. He felt like he had been holding his breath since they landed in Vancouver, the anticipation of this moment had consumed all of his energy.

"I guess you might want this…" Sid pulled back and brought the ring box around to her. He slipped the shiny object out of its holder and slipped it onto her finger.

"Wow… its beautiful…" Amber sighed, looking down at her hand.

"Don't ask Max how long it took for me to pick it out…"

"You went with Max?" Amber asked shocked.

"Yeah, it was my way of warning him, or whatever…" Sid admitted. "But I don't really want to talk about Max right now…"

Sid smiled coyly. "Now, what were you saying about doing you on the hood of the car?" He picked up Amber and placed her down on the hood, covering her lips with his.

"mmm… we cannot do this here…" She purred at him, while running her hands up under his shirt, over his chiseled abs.

'Why not? Who's around?" he kissed over her jaw and down her neck. He slowly undid the buttons on her shirt and slipped it down over her shoulders. He kissed over the exposed skin of her breasts, leaning her back on the hood of the car. He continued south, over her stomach, glancing up and catching her gaze. He smiled a devious smile back up at her and flipped the button open on her jeans.

"Sid NO!" Amber giggled and squirmed. He pulled her pants off, over her heels, leaving them in place. He pulled her bare ankles up to lips and kissed a trail up to her knees. He then placed her legs around her waist and bent over to connect with her lips once again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, tangling her tongue with his. The intensity increased, as she ran her hands down to the waist of his jeans and undid the fly, pushing his pants down with her feet. Sid felt his erection spring free, as his pants fell to his knees and the light weight fabric of his boxers did nothing to contain it. He drew in a sharp breath as she pulled herself closer to him and she purposefully ground herself into his cock. He wanted her this minute and couldn't wait any longer. He slipped his hand down between her legs and pushed her panties to the side, pushing himself inside her hot, wet pussy.

Sid let out a deep grunt of satisfaction as he plunged himself into her again and again, watching Amber arch her back off the car. She was so tight and her pussy seemed to pull him deeper inside of her. He could feel himself coming to the edge, his balls pulled up and his breathing became rapid and shallow. He held onto her tights, pushing them apart and pulling them into him at the same time. With one last thrust he felt himself release into her hot centre. He collapsed down on to her cold exposed chest, pulling himself out of her.

_*bleep* bleep *_

Sid looked up over the roof of the car and saw the flashing lights of a cop car. "Oh fuck…" He backed up quickly, tucking himself into his boxers and pulling his pants up over his waist. He quickly grabbed Amber's pants and chucked them at her while she did up the buttons on her shirt.

"Everything all right here?" An officer approached them, flashlight in hand, looking around. The officer flashed the light up into Amber's face, as she wrapped the blanket around her waist, hiding the fact that she had no pants on. "Mame, is everything okay here?"

"Yes… no problem here," Amber assured him, still slightly breathless.

"Are you aware that public fornication is a chargeable offense?" The officer redirected the light at Sid's face.

"Yes, sir. We were just enjoying the view…"

"Enjoying the view? Really? Its awfully cold out to be _enjoying the view_…"

"We were just saying that, about to pack up," Sid offered.

"Hey, are you - ? No way, you're Sidney Crosby! Holy crap! Let me just grab my partner!" The officer jumped back in the car.

"You are so freaking lucky!" Amber hissed and threw her shoe at him, as the officer ran back to his car. She quickly jumped off the hood of the car and pulled her pants back on.

"Are you complaining?" Sid laughed, as he watched her shimmy into her pants, watching her ass disappear beneath the fabric. He couldn't help but bite his lip, imagining what more he had in store for her tonight. '_No,'_ he thought to himself. _'This is far from over… the celebration is just beginning.'_

-.-

Sid posed for pictures with the officers and signed their ticket book. They shook his hand and let him go with a warning and a wink. Sid climbed back into the car, where Amber had been sitting with the heat on full blast while Sid entertained the police.

"Well , shall we head back to the hotel for round two?" Sid asked, looking over at her. Amber smiled at him and bit her lower lip.

"I don't know if I can wait…" She purred, climbing out of her seat and shifting over to Sid's lap. "You got to finish before we were interrupted. I didn't…" She leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

"You are going to get me in soooo much trouble!" He laughed.

"Shut up and finish your job," Amber instructed him. Sid reached down and pushed down the lever that moved the seat into its far most position from the steering wheel and then put his hands on her hips and spun her around in his lap, so that she was facing the window. She leaned back against him, as he pushed one hand up under her shirt, cupping her breast and running the pad of his thumb over her firm nipple. With his other hand he undid her pants and slipped his hand down beneath the surface. He guided his hand down until his fingers found the wet centre he was looking for. He gently stroked the hard nub of her clit with two fingers, dipping in and out of her entrance. He increased his stoking speed and pressure as he could feel her pushing up against him. Her breathing was rapid, as he both bit and kissed down the side of her neck that was exposed to him. He could tell that she was close, as he slid his fingers inside of her and felt a new wave of warmth spill over him. He listened to her moan and watched her twist and flex her back.

"Am I finishing my job?" Sid whispered into her ear.

"Oh God yes! Just keep going! I am so close…"

Sid flicked her clit with him thumb and then returned to his quick motions over her it with two fingers. He sunk his teeth into her neck and listened to her scream in pleasure as she came, pushing up from his lap and throwing her hand up against the driver's side window. He felt an ounce of pride, as she collapsed back down on him with a sigh.

"Can we go back to the hotel now? I want all the guys on the floor to hear you scream like that," Sid whispered into her ear as he stroked her hair back out of her face.

"So much for their modest captain, eh?" Amber teased, sliding off Sid's lap and back into her own seat.

"I just want everyone to know what good care I am going to take of my future wife," Sid offered as an excuse, leaning in to kiss her.

-.-

"Good morning! What time is the bus to the rink?" Sid asked as he walked into the banquet room that had been transformed into a private dining room for the Penguins and grabbed himself a plate from the buffet line.

"9:30," Kunitz offered.

"We are a little surprised to see you up and looking so rested…" Staalze laughed. "You've got quite the screamer there…"

Sid didn't want to but he could feel his cheeks turning red. "Watch it now! That's the future Mrs. Crosby you are making fun of…"

"What?" several of his teammates asked in unison. Cooke reached over and patted Flower on the back, as he choked on his cereal.

"I asked Amber to marry me last night... and she said yes," Sid explained with a dumb grin on his face. It didn't take long before the guys were all up on their feet, congratulating him. Dupuis ruffled his hair, Cooke punched him and welcomed him to the 'miserable man club'. Flower complained because now his long-time girlfriend was never going to leave him alone.

"What's going on you bunch of homos?" Sid heard from behind him. He turned around to face Max, who had just walked in the door with Tanger.

"Siddy-boy is gettin' hitched," Adams explained to the new arrivals, reaching over and giving Sid a wet willy.

Max just stood in the doorway in shock, as Tanger leapt across the room and bear hugged his friend. He lowered his gaze to the floor and turned around to head out of the room. He needed to get away before he did something dumb. It had been bad enough hearing Amber all night, but now to know why the noises had been coming from the room, made Max sick to his stomach.

Max took two steps out of the room, then suddenly had to reach for the wall to balance himself. Everything was spinning wildly out of control, as he stumbled to the closest steady surface.

"Everything okay?" He heard Coach Dan ask, approaching from in front of him.

"No… nothing…" Max managed to spit out before leaning over and throwing up all over the hallway.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

Nathalie walked into the gleaming new kitchen at Sid's and looked around. The cleaning lady had let her in and told her that Amber was back in the kitchen but Nathalie didn't see her anywhere. She placed her bag down on the counter and went to pull out her cell phone. This house was huge and she wasn't about to go searching for Amber. She had learnt to harness the power of the text search, as she had to do this several times a day in her own home, to locate her husband and kids.

Just as she was about to press send, Nathalie heard an all too familiar noise coming from the bathroom. She popped her head around the corner to where the main floor bathroom was located and listened again. '_Yup, that's barfing_' Nathalie thought to herself with a chuckle. '_The disgusting skills you develop as a parent…'_

"Are you okay in there?" Nathalie offered through the door.

"Ummm… yeah, I'm fine… I'm sorry… I'll be right out…" Nathalie heard a mumbled response back.

"Okay, I'll just be in the sitting room… Take your time…" She listened to a muffled response and the walked back into the kitchen. The coffee was ready, so she poured herself a large cup and pulled out her day planner. Her and Amber had lots of plans to hammer out for the big event, and Nathalie didn't plan on leaving before presenting the case for Pittsburgh as the host for the event. She knew Amber wanted to go home and so did Sid, but Pittsburgh was going to be their new home for many years to come, so she thought it would only be suiting for them to take this step here.

Nathalie was not wasting time getting this ball rolling. She had done some research on all three cities up for debate and made a list of some locations that could hold the number of guests that would be required for the wedding of Sidney Crosby. Needless to say, she had a very short list. She had already taken the liberty of calling some locations to see if their chosen date for late summer was available and that further reduced the list. Pittsburgh was looking to be their best option.

Amber stepped slowly into the sitting room and took a chair across from Nathalie, taking a slow sip from a water bottle.

"Food poisoning or nerves?" Nathalie asked with a sympathetic smile. She knew it couldn't be the flu because if it had been the flu, everyone would know and Amber would be in quarantine to prevent her from infecting Sid or any of the other players.

"I dunno…" Amber shook her head while collapsing into one of the over sized chairs. "I must have eaten something bad… it just hit me like a wall."

"Do you want to do this another day?"

"No… I should be fine…"

"Maybe you should go lie down? Take it easy for a bit?"

"No, no… I threw up yesterday too and once I had it out, I was good for the rest of the day. I am sure it's the same thing…"

"Hmmm… around the same time yesterday?" Nathalie asked with a knowing smile on her face.

"Yeah, I didn't even get my morning coffee…" Amber shook her head, taking another sip of her water.

"Hmmm throwing up in the morning hey?" Nathalie asked again, then repeated it information slowly. "Funny… Sick in the morning… morning sickness… "

"No, it's not like that," Amber shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"You're sure? Maybe we need to move up the wedding date?" Nathalie smiled again.

Amber laughed and rolled her eyes then finished off her water bottle. "I am going to grab a coffee and then we can get down to the nitty gritty."

Amber got up and walked the few feet back to the kitchen, reaching herself down a coffee mug and pouring herself a cup. She felt another wave of nausea take over her body and paused, leaning back against the counter. _'Sick in the morning…Morning sickness'_ Nathalie's words rang through her ears. _'No, it couldn't be,'_ Amber thought, doing a quick mental count of when her last period was. She had never been very good at keeping count of that. That had been the bonus of being on the pill, it came with a helpful counter built right in but since she had moved to The States she had yet to find a doctor and her prescription had run out months ago. Sid and her were always really careful but they had never had the birth control discussion. She couldn't recall if there had been a blatant slipup, but she was pretty sure Sid would have said something had he 'pulled the goalie'. But she also couldn't recount the last time she had her period…

After she was sure she wasn't going to throw up again, Amber made her way back into the sitting room. Nathalie looked up from the wedding magazine that she was flipping through and smiled.

"By the look on your face, I guess we should call a doctor…" Nathalie offered, immediately pulling out her phone and making the call.

-.-

Amber sat on the couch, starring blankly at the wall. She heard the front door open but didn't get up. She was shaking and didn't trust her legs to get her there. Nathalie had offered to stay, to hold her hand until Sid got home but she had dismissed the idea that she needed any help.

"Hey, you don't answer your cell phone anymore? I thought you said you were going to meet me at the arena?" Sid walked in and dumped his bag on the floor, plopping down beside her on the couch.

"Hellooo, Earth to Amber…" he waved his hand in front of her face. Amber shook off the stare and turned towards him. She knew that he would immediately see the emotions in her eyes, that he could see right through her, even if she wanted to cover it up. "What's wrong? Fuck, you're shaking… what's going on?"

She couldn't hold it in any longer, as she felt the tears spring to her eyes. She buried her face in her hands and began sobbing.

"Okay, you are freaking me out again? Did Nathalie say something? Did the media? Come on, talk to me…" Sid pulled her head up to face his.

"I'm sorry…" she sobbed, burying her head in his shoulder. "I have messed up everything…"

"Sorry for what? There is nothing that we can't work through…" Sid tried to calm her, stroking her hair and holding her tight.

"You don't get it… I know what they are going to say… what everyone is going to say… this should be a happy time but its not… it won't be…" Amber tried to explain between sobs.

"Is this about the wedding?" Sid laughed. "Are you stressing already? I thought we talked about making this a no-stress event… you are being a little ridiculous right now… is it that time of the month?"

Amber sat bolt up right and glared at him. It was all she could do to not hit him - slap him right across the face. Instead she grabbed a pillow and wiped it at him. "No, you IDIOT! It's not that time of the month! And it won't be for about nine more… Get it now? Still think I am being ridiculous?" she snapped. The crying was done, now she was mad… and hungry…

"W-w-w-hat?" Sid stuttered.

"Yeah, that's right Crosby… you just insulted the mother of your child… how do you feel _now_?" Amber got up and began walking towards the kitchen. She felt his hand close around her wrist and pull her backwards towards him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… I think we need to back up… you're, you're, you're pregnant?" Sid asked, the same look on his face as was on hers when Nathalie first suggested her current state – pure disbelief.

"Yes…" Amber said slowly and cautiously. She had no idea what his reaction was going to be and that scared her. She had played through almost every scenario in her head, since the doctor had confirmed Nathalie's suggestion but none of her scenarios ended well.

Sid just sat and stared at the floor, motionless and speechless.

"Okay… well… I am just going to let you absorb that… I'll be in the kitchen getting a snack, if you need anything… You hungry? I'm hungry… I'm just gonna… right…" Amber muttered, as she pulled her hand out of his grasp and started backing up towards the kitchen.

"You're pregnant? You. Are. Pregnant…" Sid repeated to himself, both asking himself and answering himself, still starring at the floor.

Amber headed down the hallway and into the kitchen, yanking open the fridge door. She dug around, not finding anything that appealed to her and then pulled out a jug of milk. She grabbed herself down a glass and filled it to the brim, then returned the jug to the fridge and turned to her secret cookie hiding spot. Sid gave her crap for keeping cookies in the house, so she always had to sneak them when he wasn't around. She pulled open the cupboard door and reached in behind a set of stacking mixing bowls, grabbing at the secret package. She removed three from its interior, popping one in her mouth and placed the package back. She went to close the cupboard door and jumped, as Sid was standing right behind it – still in a daze.

"What are you eating?"

"Nothing…" Amber mumbled, trying to disguise the obvious cookie in her mouth.

"Are those cookies?"

"I'm pregnant… I'm allowed cookies…"

Sid reached forward and took one from her stack, and placed it in his mouth. "Just remember, you're eating for two, not like two…" He stared at her, while she placed the last cookie in her mouth.

"Soooo…" Amber exhaled around the cookie.

"You're really having my baby?" Sid asked again, the corners of his mouth creeping up into a smile. Amber nodded, still chewing. He stepped in bit closer, looking down and placing his hand on her stomach. They stood there together in silence for a moment.

"What are you thinking?" Amber asked quietly, unable to read his expression.

"I am thinking that now I have everything… and now your parents are really going to hate me…"

"Yeah probably…" Amber smiled with a little laugh. "The doctor guessed the date around the time we were in Vancouver… so my dad's worst fears of me getting knocked up in the backseat of a hockey player's car are finally coming true…"

"We weren't in the backseat…" Sid corrected her.

"I'll let you tell my dad that... Would you really like to tell my dad you weren't fucking me on the hood of the car in February in Vancouver?" Amber asked with a chuckle. "I think we should just let him think it was the backseat..."

"Your dad would probably get mad at me for risking you getting pneumonia…"

"I think he is going to have other things to focus on being mad at you for…" Amber chuckled. "But you're not mad?"

"What? NO! Are you kidding? I was worried about how you were going to react when I asked you to start a family right away! Now I don't have to ask…"

"You wanted this?" Amber asked shocked.

"Well, no, not until after the wedding but yeah… I want a family, a big family and I don't want to be an old dad that can't keep up with his kids and the way my bones creak now, I think I will look like an eighty year old by the time I'm forty, so I didn't want to wait…" Sid explained excitedly. "I want this with you. I agree the timing isn't perfect but whatever… so we push back the wedding or whatever… Nathalie can figure that out."

Amber smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I wasn't sure how you were going to react."

"Were you upset?" Sid asked cautiously.

"Um… yeah but just because I thought you would be…"

"I'm just in shock…"

"Understandably… we have a lot to think about now…"

"Like which room should be the nursery…" Sid said excitedly.

"Not what I was thinking but, okay, yeah… that too," Amber laughed. "I was thinking about the media, the league, your publicist, your parents, Mario, Pat, the team…"

"Whatever, that doesn't matter! All that matters is that you are healthy and happy and … holy fuck… WE ARE HAVING A BABY!" Sid lifted her up by the waist and spun her around.

"So you won't get mad if I have another cookie?" Amber laughed.


	38. Chapter 38

_*sorry to leave you all hanging but this will be it for awhile as i head to Mexico to escape the winter for a couple weeks! Happy Holidays!_

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

Sid was pumped for the game tonight. The last game of the season and unless Stamkos got ten points tonight, he was guaranteed the scoring title. He knew he shouldn't discount that as an option but ten points would be somewhat of a miracle. Every time he thought that he had a good lead on Stammer, he pulled some crazy shit out of his ass and then Sid had to work harder to keep a gap. It seemed like the chase had gone on all season. The kid had pushed him all year and tonight was going to be the big pay off. It was by far the best year Sid had ever had.

He wasn't about to dwell on it though. They would be in the middle of the playoffs before they knew it and he had to stay focused. There was nothing he wanted more then the cup again.

Having the cup would make this the _perfect year._ A wife, a baby, a championship. It was everything he ever wanted. He wanted to yell from the arena rooftop. It was almost too much for him to handle without jumping like a freakin' leprechaun. But there were others around and the guys were already mocking him for being ridiculously excited about getting married, never mind the crap he'd get when they knew what the latest ridiculous grin on his face was to be blamed on. Nobody knew about the pregnancy and they wanted to keep it that way for a couple more weeks… or really as long as they could. Of course Nathalie and Mario knew but that was all. They would tell there parents after the party tomorrow night. The doctor said that Amber was about 7 weeks along, which meant she had quite a bit of time before she would start showing and even then it would be minuscule at best. Most people would probably just think she was gaining a bit of weight and would be too polite to say anything to her face. They hoped that they could make it through the playoffs before the spotlight was on them. Sid didn't want the distraction and Amber didn't need the added stress of having the media all over her. They had decided to move the wedding date up to early July, just in case there were problems or as Amber said "so she wasn't the size of a blue whale… just an infant blue whale."

Sid pulled up to the entrance of the arena parking lot and signed his obligatory autographs for the kids standing there. He parked his car and climbed out. Mario was pulling in behind him, so he took a couple quick paces to catch up to him.

"You know, if you don't wipe that stupid smile off your face, people are going to start asking questions…" Mario warned him with a grin.

"I can't help it! Things are pretty perfect right now…" Sid laughed.

"You have worked hard. You deserve this," Mario patted his young protégé on the back. "What do you say we go inside and finish this year off on top and then have one hell of a party?"

"Sounds like the best plan yet!" Sid agreed.

-.-

Amber pulled her car up to the gates at the arena. She was excited about tonight's game. Sid was going to end the season as the scoring leader and was going to break his record for most goals and points in a season. He was trying to downplay the whole night but she knew he was just trying to be modest. She was excited for him and knew, beyond a doubt, that he was going to play big tonight even though he didn't have to. All the doubters that had said that he couldn't handle all the changes this year had to chew on their words. Not only did he handle them, he thrived on them. They made him better and inspired him to work that much harder. The NHL awards were in the bag. Nobody would argue who was best player on Earth now.

Now all they had to concentrate on was the ultimate prize – the Stanley cup. Sid said it was like starting the whole year over again, a whole new season – just that you start this season already tired, sore and beat to shit. But he was ready. He was determined and knew his team had what it took. There would be one day off for rest and revelry and then it was back to work.

The revelry planned tomorrow night, to celebrate the end of the season, was Sid and Amber's engagement party. Nathalie had insisted on throwing them a party but Sid had insisted that it waited until the season was over. It had been tradition to throw a party at the end of the regular season, so they decided to kill two birds with one stone. The party was to be held at the Lemieux's and the guest list was extensive. As the Pens were playing the last scheduled regular season game tonight, a number of players from teams all over the league had been invited and many of them were able to make it, including some people from Amber's work with Team Canada and junior hockey. Mario had arranged flights out of a number of cities to get everyone here to celebrate.

"Where's Tony?" Amber asked while reaching out the car window and passing the unfamiliar security officer her pass.

"Oh, he's at home with a bit of the flu," the young officer replied, examining her security pass and passing it back to her. "I am sorry ma'am but your card isn't on my clearance list. You'll have to park in the visitor's lot."

"Excuse me? I think you should check again. I come here everyday," Amber protested, passing the card back to him.

"It's not on the list, ma'am. I'm sorry… you can look yourself… but those are the rules," the officer shrugged apologetically. "Do you need instructions on how to get to the visitors lot?"

"No! I am not an idiot!" Amber snapped, grabbing the card from officer's hand. "The visitors lot... this is ridiculous!"

Amber put the car into reverse and backed out of the drive way to the arena. She drove around the block to the visitor's parking lot which was packed. She pulled into a spot at the back of the lot, what seemed like a mile away from the entrance. She pulled out her cell phone and quickly sent Sid a text message complaining about her treatment at the front gate. He would certainly have that corrected for the mother of his child.

She opened the car door and stepped into the snow. Her choice of footwear wasn't exactly appropriate for crossing a snow filled parking lot. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and closed the door behind her.

"Looky, looky what we have here…"

Amber turned around to face the voice behind her. A group of men wearing Bruins jerseys were gathered, leaning against the light stand, smoking. Even if the Bruins won tonight, they were too far down in the standings to place for the playoffs.

"… I believe we are face to face with Sid the kid's _fiancé_…" A big guy in the back hissed, then took a sip from a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag.

"Hey there boys, hope you enjoy the game tonight, it should be a good one…" Amber greeted the guys politely and then started walking away.

"… it will only be good if your _girlfriend_ gets what is coming to _her_…" one of the guys yelled back at her.

Amber smiled at the group of fanatics and continued to walk away. There was no point in continuing this conversation and their heckling certainly didn't bother her. She had heard quite a bit of it by now. Amber continued walking away from the guys but could hear their voices coming in closer behind her.

"… oh you're a snob are you? Too good to talk to us?"

"I hope our boys take care of _Sid the kid_… teach him what real men do on the ice…"

"… make the whole team pay for that bullshit they pulled on Savard…"

Amber continued to walk, increasing her speed the best she could, as she cautiously climbed through the snow ruts in the parking lot but the boys seemed to be gaining on her. She could practically feel them on the back of her neck and it seemed like every hair on her body was standing on end, as her nervousness increased with every step. Their heckling also seemed to be getting angrier with each comment, as she tried her best to ignore them.

"Listen guys, we are all here to enjoy hockey," Amber turned around and faced them. She watched one guy take a long drink from a bottle hidden in the brown paper bag then passed it on to his buddy. "It's just a game…"

"Just a game? That's classic…" laughed one of the Bruins fan menacingly.

"Yeah, you think it was just a game to Savard's wife? Watching her husband lie on the ice…"

"Its not easy being a wife of a hockey player… but he's better now, so I think we should all agree to move on…" Amber turned around and began walking away.

"We'll move on when justice has been served… like when a member of the Pens has to watch their significant other lie in a hospital bed…" one of the guys hissed after her, grabbing her arm and pulling it towards him.

"Let go of me!" Amber pushed the big guy away but could hardly budge as he tightened his grasp on his wrist.

"Or what? You'll call _Sidney_ to come help you?" All the guys laughed.

Amber continued to wrestle away from him, until she managed to twist her arm free. She started moving quickly away from the group but they quickly surrounded her, like a pack of hyenas. Another guy reached out and grabbed her arm but she wound up and punched him in defence. In return, one of the other guys, slapped her across the face with the back of his hand and she fell to the ground, into the wet, sloppy snow.

"Please leave me alone…" Amber pleaded as one of the guys grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet. He held her as another one of the guys hit her again. She felt her legs give out on her, as one of the guys punched her ribs and yet another one slapped her, as her head flew backward. She could taste the blood in her mouth, as she was thrown to the ground. She felt the air escape from her lungs, as a foot contacted her stomach. She curled into a ball, her hands going to her midsection as she gasped for a breath.

"Please no!" she cried, tears mixing with blood as they flowed down her cheeks and into her mouth. "… the baby…I'm pregnant… please…"

"What the fuck! He didn't say anything about her being pregnant…" Amber heard one of the guys hiss to the group.

"She's fucking lying! Everyone would know if _Sidney Crosby_ was going to have a baby… finish the lying whore," one of the guys yelled. He must have been the one that she had hit, as Amber watched as he held his hand over his nose. The group of guys exchanged looks and then Amber passed out as she felt yet another foot contact her stomach.

-.-

Mario jogged down the hall toward the video replay room. He came to a halt at the door, stepping inside and scanning the room. Dan and Tony were standing at the desk, alone in the room, watching tape from the second period, trying to pin point the attack point of the Boston goaltender, who seemed to have plexi-glass around him – nothing was getting through that guy.

"Where's Sid?" he asked, slightly out of breath. He was certainly far from his playing days.

"Um… I think he's prepping some more sticks. He seems to be burning through them tonight," Dan shrugged. "God damn PP unit can't get anything through, he is getting aggressive. He really wants a goal to end the year."

"Well we have a bigger issue…" Mario shook his head. "It's Amber - she's been attacked. They found her in the parking lot…"

Dan and Tony exchanged looks and each swore under their breath.


	39. Chapter 39

_*I have never been so happy to see snow! Mexico is not for me! Thanks for being so patient... I hope this chapter makes it worth the wait!_

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

Sid stood outside of the hospital room and stared in through the small window. Amber laid on the bed, asleep – or unconscious - he wasn't sure which but he barely recognized her. Whoever attacked her had done quite a number on her face – the bruising and swelling was unlike anything he had ever seen. She had a broken cheek bone and fractured jaw. She also had a broken arm and collarbone. The doctor hadn't been to talk to him yet but Nathalie had talked to the nurse to get some details. She came in unconscious and hadn't woken up yet. The police officers that had come with her, had shown him the note that was attached to her. _"You hurt our team… we hurt yours…"_ This was supposed to be some sick fuck's idea of vengeance. The cops said they had no idea who had done it but that they were reviewing the security tapes from the parking lot.

Sid moved out of the way as another nurse came out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. "You can go in, if you'd like…" She stated quietly. Sid just stood there and shook his head.

He couldn't go in there. He couldn't bring himself to cross through the doorway. When Sid had gotten to the hospital, Nathalie had been in the room with Amber and had waived for him to come in but he had just stood there – in shock. Nathalie had come out to comfort him with a big hug and then held the door open for him but he still just shook his head and stood in spot.

"Sid… she needs you…" Nathalie had said softly.

"No. She is in there because of me. I am the last thing she needs," Sid had responded and then tuned out Nathalie's protests as he felt the emotions build within him. He had been on the verge of tears since Mario and Dan had called him into the office to tell him after the second period. It had taken a minute or two for him to compute what they had said to him. Mario had said there was a car waiting for him at the exit and Sid almost started walking towards it in his skates. Dan had to shake him to get him to zone back in and go get changed. When Sid had walked into the dressing room and started stripping down everyone just stared at him. Tony must have filled the guys in while Dan and Mario had told him because nobody asked any questions, nobody said anything. They just continued to stare – he had felt their eyes on him. One pair in particular. Max was fuming.

He had every right to be pissed. After all they had been through; he knew what Max was thinking. Sid had failed at protecting her, at taking care of her and being there for her.

Sid glanced back through the window and wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Mr. Crosby?"

Sid turned toward the man in the white coat, holding a clipboard.

"I'm Dr. Neals," he introduced himself to Sid and Nathalie, extending his hand. "Would you like to have a seat?"

Nathalie guided Sid towards the small seating area, just off to the side of the hallway.

"Amber is in stable condition now, but we are going to have to monitor her condition. She has lost a lot of blood and was outside in the parking lot for quite some time. She has several broken bones, including her jaw, her –"

"We know about the bones, the nurse filled us in –" Nathalie cut him off, as she held Sid's hand with both of hers. "I think what we need to know is if you were able to save the –" Nathalie couldn't finish the sentence, as she felt her hands being squeezed.

"No… I am extremely sorry. She sustained several blows to her mid section and it would have required a miracle for a pregnancy that early to pull through."

"Oh Sid…" Nathalie wrapped her arms around Sid and pulled him toward her. He couldn't hold it in anymore and just let himself sob in her arms.

-.-

"I said rough her up a bit! Not beat her to death! What the FUCK were you thinking?"

"Sorry, Mr. Talbot… the bitch started fighting back and it was hard to contain her… She got Eddie in the eye, he's in rough shape…"

"You think I _fucking_ care about Eddie? FUCK Eddie! Amber is in the hospital fighting for her life! I should fucking kill you…" Max lunged at the scumbag that he had made the deal with.

"Please Mr. Talbot we really are sorry…" The guy jumped back and started to cover his face.

"Sorry? I am too! You're a fucking idiot… Here's your fucking money…"

The douchebag quickly counted the stack of cash that had been thrown at him. "This isn't the amount we talked about…"

"Well you didn't do the job we talked about either did you?" Max hissed back. "Take the money and get the fuck out of my life! Go back to whatever hole you came from!"

"If anything you should have pay us more! You didn't tell us she was pregnant… we wouldn't have agreed to it, if we knew…"

"WHAT?" Max asked in shook. "W-w-what do you mean pregnant?"

"That's what she said…" the guy shrugged. "That's when we ran away… we don't need to deal with that shit, if you know what I mean…"

"I have to go…" Max turned and started running to where he had parked his car. This was not part of the plan – but he shouldn't be surprised, none of his plans seemed to go right.

-.-

Sid sat slumped in the lounge chair – staring at the wall. His mind was numb, his eyes were red and swollen. Several nurses had checked on him and Nathalie had been there with coffee and water. She had left his side momentarily to go and call Amber's parents and to take care of some details for him.

Mario came and sat down beside him.

"Some of the guys are here… they are out in the waiting room," He said softly. "You don't need to go out and see them, or anything, I just thought it might help you to know that they are here."

"Is Max here?" Sid asked quietly.

"I think he just got here, yeah…"

"Did he go and see her?"

"No. They said family only… Nathalie pulled the donation card to get us in here…"

"Make them let him in there… She needs him right now…"

"I'll see what I can do…" Mario nodded his understanding and climbed to his feet. "Don't be too hard on yourself… there is nothing you could have done…"

"Don't…" Sid just shook his head, he didn't want to hear it right now. He leaned forward and buried his head in his hands. Mario patted his back and watched his young star sob again.

-.-

"Hey," Mario greeted the growing crowd in the waiting room.

"What's going on in there?"

"How is she?"

"How is Sid?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Mario put up his hands. "One at a time! Amber is sleeping, she is stable, a lot of broken bones… she is in pretty rough shape… Sid's a mess… I dunno how we are going to get him through this…"

"How did this happen?" Michelle asked, holding her husband's hand tightly.

"I don't know… but there will be a full investigation. The police have already looked at the security tapes from the parking lot. Apparently, the security guard at the players gate didn't have her name on the list… for some fucked up reason… so she went to park in the visitor lot… they said it looks like they were there waiting for her, like they knew, like it was all some kind of plot…"

"Tabernack…" Fleury swore, putting his hand on Vero's head.

"Waiting for her?" Dupuis asked "That's sick… I am going to go call home and fill in the wife…"

"Max, Sid said to tell you to go in and see her… don't start anything with him… Do and so help me God, your career will be over…" Mario threatened him.

Max nodded then stood up and walked towards the doors to the ICU. He began to walk down the hall, checking the names on the doors for Amber's, when he saw Sid slumped in a chair in the corner. His shaking shoulders gave him away – he was clearly crying. '_What have I done?'_ Max thought to himself – this was not how things were supposed to go. A lot had been made in the media about her since their engagement and he knew she was nervous so he had asked those guys to scare her a bit, drive home any fear she had about being with Sid. Just scare her. Not this -

Max walked over and put his hand on the shoulder of his team mate.

"Hey man, I am really sorry –"

Sid sat up and wiped away his tears. "I'm fine. You should go in there…" Sid nodded towards her room.

"I don't know if I can. Nat said she looked really bad…" Max shivered.

Sid just nodded.

"I am sorry for your loss too, man… that's rough," Max offered his condolences.

"How did you know about that?" Sid snapped.

"Ummm… I just, ummm… heard out there…" Max stumbled for words. He couldn't exactly admit where he had heard. He assumed that everyone knew, that it would have been part of the update on her condition the rest of the team would have heard by now.

"Fuck… I didn't think anyone knew… I don't want to deal with that…" Sid buried his face again.

"Its okay man, no one is going to say anything… have you called her parents?" Max quickly changed the subject.

"Nathalie called them… I haven't really moved…"

"Fair enough… nobody would expect you to… everyone is here for you," Max reminded him. "I'm going to head in and see her…" Sid looked up momentarily and nodded before returning his face to his hands.

Max stood up and headed to her room, pushing open the door and stepping inside. Max tried to contain the gasp when he saw her lying there. He had known her for so long and seen her through so many hard situations but this was too much for him. Seeing her like this, knocked the air out of his lungs. He had done this. He had actually caused this. He had put her in the hospital again. How was he going to live with himself now? Max felt the pressure build up and before he knew if he was bent over her bedside crying.

-.-

"Sid?" Nathalie came around the corner quickly. "Sid?"

Hearing his name, Sid slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids seemed to weigh a tonne and wouldn't open all the way as they were swollen from crying. He didn't want anyone to see him like this, so he had stayed hidden around the corner, away from his team mates that had come to see Amber. Max had stayed in there with her, so at least he didn't feel guilty because she was alone. He felt guilty for so many things that it hardly seemed to make a difference.

"Sid? There you are! Max says she is awake…" He could here the relief in her voice. "You need to come and see her."

"Yeah… umm… okay," Sid slowly rose to his feet and began the walk down the hall to her room. He reached her doorway and peered inside. There were two nurses milling about. Mario stood off to the side, talking to the doctor and Nathalie rushed to her side, leaning down to gingerly hug Amber. Max sat by her bedside, holding her hand and talking softly. A wave of emotion threatened to knock him over as Sid watched Max reach up and brush a stray hair from her swollen, bruised cheek. She was barely recognizable.

"Sid?" Nathalie waved for him to come closer, but he couldn't move. He lowered his eyes to the floor and tried to control the emotions - taking long deep breaths. He couldn't go inside her room. He couldn't get any closer to her. Being close to her was what got her there… Max was right all along. He was bad for her.

"Sid, come here," Nathalie repeated her command in a much less forgiving voice. Sid looked up and locked eyes with Amber. There was so much pain in her eyes, he couldn't handle it. Sid quickly turned and left the doorway. Walking away didn't seem fast enough. He broke into a jog down the hallway of the hospital, pushing through the exit doors of the ICU, running past his team mates who just starred in shock as he passed them and out into the cold air.

Gasping for a breath in the cold late night air, Sid hailed a cab and slid into the backseat.

"Just drive," He managed to choke out to the cab driver, who followed his command and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

-.-

Amber laid in her bed. Everything hurt. She wasn't sure how many pain killers the doctors and nurses had pumped her full of but it wasn't enough. Max had tried to help her adjust pillows and the doctors had discussed a new course of pain management, as nothing was working. She couldn't get comfortable. She could feel every stitch, every open wound. She could feel where every boot had contacted her, every fist, every backhand slap. She had aches and pains all over her body. No matter how she laid, it hurt.

But the pain she felt on the outside paled in comparison to the pain she felt inside. She had lost their baby. She knew it in the parking lot before she passed out. She knew it as soon as she opened her eyes in the hospital room, before the doctor confirmed her belief. Max held her hand as she cried. Each sob sent a physical rush of pain over her body and the tears that streamed down her cheeks burned as the salty fluid mixed with the cuts and scrapes on her face.

As soon as Sid appeared in the doorway, it was an instant lift for her. She expected him to rush to her side and gather her into his arms, regardless of the broken bones. She needed him to tell her that things were going to be okay. She needed him to kiss her pain away.

Instead he stood there and stared at the floor. He didn't even come in. He looked up at her briefly and Amber tried but couldn't read the look in his eyes. Then he turned and literally ran away. Amber laid there shocked, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. Max stood up and stared at the door, clearly unsure of what he should do next. Mario and Nathalie exchanged looks and Mario quickly went to chase after him but returned moments later, shaking his head. Then all eyes were back on her.

"Did he really just leave?" Amber managed to choke out before the sobbing began. The beeping from the heart rate monitor began to make more noise, beeping louder and faster with each sob.

"Oh sweetie…" Amber heard Nathalie offer, as she reached out to hold her hand. Max let out a round of swears and insults in his native tongue, continuing to hold her hand. Mario continued to stand silently, shaking his head and staring at the floor. The nurses stepped in and added a sedative to her IV and before long Amber leaned back into her pillow and fell back to sleep.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

Max held the door open for Amber as she walked up the path to his front door. She was still walking slowly but had insisted on leaving the hospital. In Canada they would have told you not to be stupid and lie the fuck back down if you weren't in any shape to leave the hospital. That was the joy of the American health care system. You could check yourself out if you threatened not to pay anyone. She had spent the night and most of the day laying there staring at the ceiling, feeling sorry for herself and she couldn't do it anymore. Max had offered to take her to his place and as much as she wanted to protest, she also knew she had no where else to go. She certainly couldn't go home – she could barely think about it without breaking down into a sobbing heap. The doctors said she couldn't go home to Montreal because she couldn't fly until she was a bit stronger. She couldn't go to the Lemieux's, even though they had offered, even argued that she should, it was just too much for her. Seeing the tents set up in the backyard and all the decorations that she knew Nathalie had set up would be too much for her – after all, today was supposed to be their engagement party

'_Engagement party, that's a joke,_' she thought to herself. She fought off the urge to cry again. All she really wanted to do was lie down and fall back to sleep. The doctor had given Max sleeping pills to administer, and instructed him not to leave her alone with the bottle, as no one trusted her current mental state.

"Prenez votre temps, ma chere," Max held out his hand to her, which she grabbed with her one un-broken arm. He led her into his place, which resembled the typical bachelor pad. Black leather couches and a large screen tv, hooked up to several gaming systems. Several pizza and other take out boxes were strewn on the floor, alongside Gatorade bottles and protein bar wrappers.

"I'll clean that up…" Max apologized, while kicking a path to the couch for her. "Just wait here and I'll go clean up the bedroom for you…"

Amber slumped into the soft folds of the couch and leaned her head back against the cushions. _'I could just die right here…'_ She thought to herself. _'It would be so much easier…'_ She knew her parents were getting off a flight from Montreal along with Max's parents right now and she didn't want to face them. She didn't want to hear the 'I told you so' from her mom or see the looks of pity from her dad. She was waiting for that from Max, but she knew he would have the decency to wait until she could fight back. She wasn't sure how much Nathalie had told them about her condition or if she had mentioned the pregnancy at all. Max knew somehow – she guessed that Sid had told him, or maybe Nathalie, knowing how close they once were.

"Okay, all ready…" Max returned to her side by the couch. "Come here…" he slipped his arms underneath her and in one fluid motion pulled her up off the couch and to his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and let him carry her to bed. He placed her down gently and then crouched over her, kissing her gently on the cheek and brushing the hair off her face.

"Avoir un bonne sommeil… Je vais vous avez reveiller quand vos parents arrivent," Max promised, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders.

"No, please stay. I don't want to be alone…" Amber held his hand and looked up at him, tears threatening to spill over yet again. Max nodded and then slipped off his shoes, climbing in behind her.

"Anything you need… I told you I would always be here for you…"

"He really left…"

"Shhhh…_ I_ am not going anywhere… Don't think about that, just close your eyes… don't think about that…" Max pressed his lips softly behind her ear.

It was too late, the tears had begun to fall. All Max could do now was hold her and comfort her and lie to her, telling her everything was going to be alright.

-.-

Sid sat in the stands at the arena. This was the only place he could think of to go. This was his haven. Everything usually seemed simpler when he was here. When he had arrived, the cleaning crew had just finished sweeping and were just packing up for the night. The night security guard walked past him every now and then but other then that he was completely alone.

It was better that way.

No one got hurt when he was alone.

Sid stared out across the ice. It would be melted down today for a concert that was taking place that night. Some of the guys had talked about going to the concert but Nathalie had put them in their place and reminded them that the party tonight was by no means an optional event.

It was hard to believe that today was supposed to be a happy day. That less then twenty four hours ago he was planning on telling his parents the good news about Amber and their baby. Now he had to tell them that there was no party and there was no baby and it was all his fault. He should have been there to protect her. He should have hired someone. The amount of hate mail that she got on a regular basis should have been an indication that something like this was going to happen but he refused to believe that a hockey fan would ever go to these lengths. He should have known better.

"Excuse me sir? Do you have a reason to be here?" Came a voice from behind him. Sid turned around to see the familiar face of the young day security officer. "Oh, sorry Mr. Crosby… didn't think I would be seeing you here… hey, sorry about what happened last night… I hope she will be alright, such a nice girl…"

Sid just turned around in his seat and faced the ice again. The line _"…such a nice girl…" _rang in his head. She was a nice girl. She didn't deserve this. She deserved so much better then him. He thought about all the things that she had been through since meeting him. Losing her job, alienating her parents, now this… Max was right all along. Sid lowered his head to his hands and hunched over in his seat. He wanted to disappear. He wanted none of this to have happened. He wanted to go back in time and erase meeting her… so she never got hurt and he didn't have to feel this way.

-.-

"I didn't realize you were such a coward…" Sid woke up with a startle. He sat upright and stretched out his back, looking up at the voice barking down at him.

"I am not a coward…" he stated simply.

"Really? Your fiancé was just brutally attacked, lost your baby and you what? Run away?" Mario asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"It's not like that…"

"What's it like then? You have a lot of explaining to do… I think you owe a lot of people a damn good explanation… Especially Amber… that poor girl…" Mario shook his head.

"I just had to get out of there… I had to leave… It's for the best…"

"For the best? The best for who? For you? So you don't have to deal with it, so you don't have to deal with real life?"

"This is NOT REAL LIFE! This is a FUCKING NIGHTMARE!" Sid screamed at the top of his lungs. "She wouldn't be there if it wasn't for ME! YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT? She would be happy and healthy and have someone there who could take care of her and protect her…"

"Is that what you think? That YOU put her there? You didn't beat her within an inch of her life, Sid. You cannot blame yourself for this… You blame the guys who did this, you blame the security for not letting her in, you blame anyone you want… but you CANNOT blame yourself for this!"

"It's my fault…"

"No it isn't… running away and not manning up to take care of her is your fault… If you go back right now, and I mean RIGHT NOW, you can maybe save this… She is the best thing that has happened to you and she needs you right now…"

"I can't…"

"Fuck Sid! So what? You're going to let _Max_ take care of her?"

Sid put his head down. "Maybe I should have all along… we wouldn't be here if I had… he was right… I don't know how to take care of anyone but myself… he knew I would fuck it up… he knew she was the one that was going to end up hurt in all of this but I was selfish and stubborn. And look where it got us? I should have known better… no one can have it all…"

"Like I said, you are a coward… And you are certainly not who I thought you were… The guy I knew would fight. The guy I knew would be there when he was needed. The guy I knew said he loved her, more then anything. He was willing to risk everything for her. You claim to love her? Then you need to be there for her… You need to do what's right. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and be a man. The self pity angle is making me nauseous… "

Mario began storming away then turned back. "When you are done licking yourself, she checked herself out of the hospital and went to Max's. You should get your ass over there."

-.-

Sid stood outside the door to Max's house. He was sweating a cold sweat like he was about to throw up. He had raised his hand to knock on Max's door countless times but had yet to get up the nerve to swing. The TV was on inside, he could hear it through the door but he couldn't hear what they were watching, just voices. His heart ached as he imagined Max lying on the couch with his arms around her. That's probably what they would be doing right now had Sid and Amber never met. Sid remembered back to when Max had first introduced Amber to the group, he had called her his 'future wife' and then gushed about how she was going to be his. Sid should have walked away then and he felt another wave saying he should walk away now, but Mario was right. He had to know if she was alright. He had to apologize to her for everything.

Sid swallowed hard and raised his hand and knocked on the door.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened. Max stood in the doorway and glared at him.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I just came to see if Amber is alright…" Sid offered slowly.

"If she's alright? Are you_ fucking_ kidding me? Of course she's not alright…"

"Listen, I know you're pissed but this is something between me and her… I just need to see her," Sid pleaded, stepping closer to the door.

"Qui est a la porte, Max?" Sid heard from the background.

"How about this? If you can get past _them_… you can see her…" Max laughed menacingly, opening the door all the way. Amber and Max's parents were standing in the living room, staring over at them. "Still think you want to come in, mon amie?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Amber's father immediately jumped off the couch. "I knew nothing good could come of your relationship with her… You are a piece of shit… The woman you claim to love goes through that and you leave her alone in the hospital…"

"She wasn't alone," Amber's mom, Gabrielle, chimed in. "Max was there… he has always been there."

Sid stepped into the room. "I know what I did was wrong, and I am sorry. I just want to see her for a minute."

"Non, pas moyen de l'enfer!" Gabrielle screamed at him "Stay away from my daughter!"

Amber's dad grabbed him by the collar and began shoving him towards the front doors.

"Dad! Please stop," Amber begged as she appeared around the corner. Sid could feel her dad's grip loosen.

"Non, princess… this man has caused you nothing but pain..." Claude pleaded with his daughter, who was using the wall to hold herself up. Sid felt the sting in his eyes again, as he saw her. She had never looked so pale and weak before.

"Dad, laisser aller de lui, s'il vous plait," Amber said quietly.

Claude all but threw Sid as he released him.

"I need to talk to you…" Sid walked slowly up to Amber.

"So talk…" Amber stated simply.

Sid looked around the room at all the angry faces. This was not the audience he wanted. "Alone… I won't stay long."

Amber stared at him for a minute then looked over at Max, who was clearly less then thrilled with the idea. She then turned around and headed back down the hall to Max's bedroom. Sid assumed this meant that he should follow but to get to the hallway, he had to slowly weave his way past an angry mob of people.

"So talk…"

"How are you?" Sid asked softly.

"How am I? How AM I? Are you fucking kidding me? How do you think I am?"

Sid stood in front of her shaking.

"I just mean…"

"I don't give a FUCK what you mean… You are a piece of shit, you know that? A FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"

"I know…" Sid could feel the tightness building in his chest. He had never seen her this upset, or anybody this upset for that matter. "I… I… I am so sorry…" he took a step towards her, extending his hand. He just wanted to hold her, to tell her things would be alright.

_*whack*_

The sound echoed through the room, as her one good hand hit the side of his face. Sid's face burned instantly.

"Hit me again…" Sid begged. "Hit me. Hit me until you are too tired to hit me anymore. I deserve it. HIT ME!"

Amber wound up and slapped him again, this time backhanded across the other cheek.

"You left me! You ran away! I needed you and you LEFT!" She hit him again.

"I AM SORRY… tell me what I need to do… TELL ME!"

Amber collapsed to the floor sobbing. Sid rushed to her side and pulled her too him. She struggled to get away from him but didn't have the strength. He held her close to his chest and rocked her.

"I was scared and I didn't know what to do or say or… I should have been there for you, I should have protected you better… this is all my fault and I need you to know how sorry I am… its never going to happen again…" He pulled her face away from his chest with his hand. "Max can take better care of you then I ever could… you should stay here with him. He loves you too… your family will be happy…"

"W-W-What?" Amber stuttered.

"I have to go… I just came to tell you that… this is for the best," Sid explained. He pushed her away from him and helped her lean against the side of the bed. "I understand if you hate me because… because… I hate me."

Sid climbed to his feet and reached for the door knob. He debated looking behind him but knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to walk away like he needed to. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, trying desperately to tune out the frantic sobbing he heard behind him. When he made it to the living room, everyone jumped to their feet and stared at him.

"She needs you…" Sid locked eyes with Max as he nodded his understanding, quickly making his way down the hallway and without another word, Sid left.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty- One**

Max didn't want this. He thought he did. He thought that he wanted this no matter what he had to do to get it but looking at Amber reading a magazine on the beach lounger, he knew that he was wrong. It had been seven weeks since the accident. Sure, her bones were healed and she had sworn up and down the wall to everyone who asked her that she was fine but he could tell, every time he looked into her eyes, that a piece of her was dead without _him._

"You wanna go snorkling?" Amber asked, putting her magazine down.

Max shrugged. "We could."

Him and Amber had come to the Barbados after the Pens got kicked out in the first round of the playoffs. Max hadn't really been surprised after all the team had been through that they weren't able to concentrate on hockey but the first round? That was a slap in the face after the season they had had. Now he knew how the Caps felt last year. Sid hadn't even gotten one goal in the six games they played. The coach even tried to help by making him a healthy scratch for game three, thinking that he could get Sid's mind focused but it didn't help. At least, the media and fans knew the reasons for Sid's lack of production and for the most part were respectful... for the most part. There were some pretty nasty things said about him in some of the papers and hockey blogs. At least they didn't know the truth about how the situation had unfolded, then the media would have torn him apart.

Amber had gone back to Montreal as soon as she was medically cleared to and Max joined her as soon as he could. Amber had been instructed to take it easy and try not to think about it too much but her parents hadn't exactly given her an easy time when she got home, with the 'I told you so's' and 'you should have known better's'. By the time Max got home, she looked like she was about to hang herself. Just to make things worse, the Canadiens had made it to the second round of the playoffs again, so there was too much hockey talk in his community for him to handle. The Barbados seemed like the only viable solution, so they packed their bags and took off.

"I could probably go for a nap…" Amber admitted.

"Whatever you want," Max reached out and squeezed her hand.

Amber got up and headed inside their private villa. Max watched her walk inside and then leaned back in his chair, looking out across the ocean. He should have known when he brought her here that things weren't going to work out the way he wanted them to. In his perfect world, Amber would have fallen back into his arms and forgotten that any of this had even happened. She would forget the name _Sidney Crosby _and forget her time in Pittsburgh. Everything would be the way it was supposed to be. She would be his and he would be hers and everyone would live happily ever after. But it became all to clear to him that that would never happen. Every time she looked in the mirror, she would have to think about _him_. Although the bruises and wounds had healed, she had a nasty scar under her left eye. Max had promised that he would hire the best plastic surgeon to get rid of it but she had refused to talk to any more doctors for the time being. The psychologist at the hospital had told him that she was clinging to the physical pain, so she didn't have to deal with the emotional pain. He was told that he would have to be supportive and give her time to deal with her loss. He was told not to put any pressure on her to move forward but don't let her dwell too long – whatever the fuck that meant.

He had made a commitment to her parents to take care of her, to make their daughter whole again. They trusted him. _'They probably wouldn't be so trusting if they knew it was actually my fault,'_ Max thought to himself. No matter how much he loved her, the guilt was becoming too much for him. It was painfully obvious that she was still in love with _him_ and from the looks of it probably always would be. Max worked desperately to push those thoughts aside, convincing himself that Sid had actually determined the outcome of this situation. He was the one that had left, not Max. Sid could have salvaged the situation if he wanted to. He chose to leave Amber with Max. He clearly didn't love her as much as he told her… or at least that was what Max was telling himself.

He looked over at the window to his left, directly into Amber's room. He watched as she pulled a pair of sweat pants up over her bathing suit and then climbed in between the sheets of her bed. His heart ached as he watched a single tear roll down her cheek, like it had done so many times since they had gotten to the island.

Max stood up and walked inside, opening the door to her room. He crossed the room in a couple steps and climbed into bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling himself closer. It was like his touch set off another round of sobs, as she let out the emotions that she had been bottling up. It didn't seem to take long for the bottle to get full these days, as every time Max seemed to look over at her she was crying again. She would try and hide it from him but it was painfully obvious.

"Shhh… it's okay. It will all be alright…" Max whispered into her ear.

"I just want to feel good again…" She sobbed.

Max gently brushed the hair off of her neck and smoothed it down the side of her head. He gazed down at her and had to choke back tears of his own. He wanted to comfort her, to make her feel good. He lowered his head to hers and gently kissed the side of her head. "You will… soon… it will take time…" He stated softly.

Amber rolled to face him, staring up at him with sad Bambi eyes. "When Max?"

He stared down into her eyes and shrugged. He watched as another tear slid out of the corner of her eye and down her head into her hair. He reached up to softly brush away the trail. He lowered his lips to his her head again, softly brushing the surface of her smooth skin along her temple. He lingered against her skin, brushing his lips lightly across the surface, then kissed her face again. And again. And again. He continued kissing down the side of her face, past her ear to her jaw bone. He felt her tip her head back slightly, as he made a path of soft kisses up her jaw to her chin until he came to her lips. He took them with his mouth, slowly at first but the taste of her and the warmth of her breath was too much and the urgency grew within him. He shifted his leg over top of hers and pulled her in closer to him, while parting her lips with his tongue. She felt so good beneath him, as the memories of their relationship came flooding back to him. All the nights, that he had spent with her in his arms, planning their future, planning their life. Maybe his plan was working after all and he was pretty sure he wasn't imagining it - she was kissing him back. He could feel her hands on his chest, moving up over his shoulders and over the back of his neck till they tangled in his hair. He could feel her pulling him down towards her, grasping at him like she needed him to survive. He had waited so long for this moment and worked so hard to have her here…so hard... if she knew what he had done...

A wave of guilt rushed over his body, making him feel sick to his stomach. He pushed away from Amber, trying to get the nauseous feeling to go away.

"What's the matter?" she asked him breathlessly.

Max shook his head violently, trying to clear the bad thoughts away. He could do this. He wanted this more then anything. He turned his head back to her, leaning back in to kiss her and another wave hit him, causing him to jump up from the bed and run for the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before throwing up his lunch.

"Max? Are you okay?" Amber called from the bedroom.

Max just stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'm fine… I just… I'll be right there…" He called back. He stood up and moved to the sink, throwing some water on his face and rinsing his mouth out. He looked at himself in the mirror. _'You know she doesn't want you,_' the image of himself looking back at him seemed to say. _'She is only here because you ruined her life. You need to fix this.'_

Max walked back into the bedroom and leaned against the door frame. Amber was sitting on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She looked up at him and bit her bottom lip.

"God you're beautiful and … and I will always love you… but we can't do this…you don't want me and I can't keep trying to convince myself that you do," Max stated. Amber nodded her head slowly in agreement. "You should pack your bags, there is somewhere you need to be…"

"He doesn't want me…" Amber reminded him, looking down at her feet, as if she could read his mind.

"He does… He just thought he was protecting you…" Max shook his head. "But he should be protecting you from me…"

"What does that mean?" Amber asked him.

"Nothing… never mind," Max said not able to tell her the whole truth. That was going to be something between him and the confessional. "You and Sid… that's the real deal Amber…"

Amber just shook her head.

"You need to trust me here. I can tell that you still love him… and that _kills_ me but I need to make it right. I know I haven't exactly made it easy for you but the universe won't be right until you two are back together… so let's go…"

Max walked over to the closet and pulled out her suitcase. Amber watched as he began pulling stuff out of her drawers and dumping them into the suitcase haphazardly.

"I guess this means our vacation is over?"


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two**

Sid stood on his dock and cast his fishing line into the lake. He heard the _plunk_, as the lure hit the surface of the water. It was quiet here. There were no other noises. Just him and his thoughts. Just him and his misery. He reeled in his line and cast off again, waiting for the _plunk_ yet again.

"Do you_ ever_ catch anything?"

Sid turned around and watched Max walk down the stairs of the dock towards him. He shook his head in disbelief. He looked further up the hill, where he could see his mother standing, her arm protectively around Amber. His heart skipped a beat as a familiar pain returned.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was clear…" Sid hissed, swallowing hard and turning his attention back to Max. Looking at her was like being stabbed in the chest – it was too much for him to handle.

"It was pretty damn _clear_ that you're an idiot," Max suggested with a shrug.

"Get her out of here!" Sid demanded.

"Why? I thought you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her? I thought you said she was all you ever wanted?"

"Things are different now…"

"So that 'forever' and i'll do anything for her, was what? You were just trying to get in her pants? That was all just bullshit? Is that what you are telling me?" Max asked, his patience was running out with Sidney Crosby and his bullshit.

"You don't fucking get it! I can't give her what she needs, what she deserves… You were right all along!" Sid threw his fishing pole to the dock. "What the fuck do you care anyway? She's yours! That's what you wanted right? You win… Shouldn't you be out celebrating?"

"I wish I were… I thought that's what I wanted, I even tried to convince myself that this was the way it was supposed to be… but it's not and it matters more to me that she is happy… and she isn't happy with me…" Max explained sadly. "So you had a little _adversity_? So what? You need to deal with it and move on… Right mon captain? Isn't that what you're always saying?"

"A little adversity? That's what you're calling it?" Sid laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "She almost fucking DIED! I would hardly compare that to losing a fucking hockey game!"

"Okay, I'll give you that it was a bad choice of words… but you know what I mean! You can't dwell on this… its never going to happen again…"

"How do you know that? What if it does happen again and what if… what if… I can't put her through that again…" Sid said slowly. "I love her too much…"

"So instead of dealing with it... your plan is to be alone for the rest of your life?"

Sid looked back up the hill to where Amber was standing, still watching what him and Max were doing. As soon as she saw him looking at her, she turned her back to him. "It's better this way…"

"No man, you two belong together…" Max shook his head in disapproval. "For some stupid reason, she still loves you… Even after the shit you pulled! Consider this your last chance… a chance to make things right…"

"I can't… I don't know how to make things right…" Sid stared out over the lake. He could feel the burning sensation of tears creeping up and did everything in his power to choke them back.

"Well, I'm going to head up there," Max pointed towards the house. "So you have however long it takes me to get up there and convince her to come down, to figure it out. You _need_ to do the right thing. You know you are nothing without her…"

"I know…" Sid admitted sadly.

"I am sorry that everything turned out like this… you have no idea," Max added, then turned around and headed up the dock.

Sid watched as Max made his way up towards the house. Sid imagined Amber's reaction while Max explained things, trying to convince her to forgive him. Sid's chest was tight as he imagined the hours and hours she would have spent crying without him – because of him. He wanted to run up the hill and wrap his arms around her, kiss away every tear and re assure her that nothing was ever going to go wrong again – but he didn't even believe that himself. How was he going to face her? All that he knew for sure was that Max was right – he needed her. The time without her was killing him and he was willing to do anything.

-.-

Amber tried not to watch as Max and Sid talked on the dock – but she couldn't help but glance down from time to time. She could tell by his body language that Sid was less then happy to see them. She forced herself to look away again, after Sid threw his fishing pole to the dock. She had imagined coming here under such better circumstances. It really was beautiful – calm and serene – far from what she was feeling. It would have been nice coming here for their honeymoon, get away from it all, just be together.

"Come dear… why don't we go into the house and I'll fix you some tea? Let Max finish talking some sense into him," Trina suggested, guiding Amber by the shoulders towards the house. Amber just nodded and went with her.

Sid's mom had picked them up at the airport, upon Max's request, and driven them directly out to the cabin. At the airport, Trina had instantly embraced Amber and began sobbing. It was all Amber could do to contain herself right there in front of everyone, the familiar glances and pointing fingers by people who recognized her. She constantly looked over her shoulder for the familiar clicking of the TMZ cameras; the last thing she wanted was to give them the satisfaction of seeing her crying. Max had to peel Trina off Amber and pull her off to the side to get her to recompose herself. She had been trying to put on a strong face ever since but every now and then, Amber caught Trina wiping away a little tear - as if Amber needed more crying around her.

Amber walked into the kitchen of the cabin that was going to be her summer home and paused. Being here, in this kitchen, seemed surreal. It was odd to her that three months ago this is exactly where she thought she would be this time of year, yet three weeks ago it was the last place.

"Have a seat and I'll put the water on," Trina instructed her. Amber climbed up into a bar stool, along the island of the kitchen and watched Trina go to work, as if it was her own kitchen. _'This is supposed to be my kitchen…'_ She thought to herself, looking around. _'I would paint…'_

"Sid did a lot of work here, making just right for himself… we had the Cup party outback there… over a hundred people," Trina made small talk while fussing about in the kitchen. "Great Big Sea set up just over there," She added, pointing to an area out the back window. "It was quite an evening…"

Amber heard a door click and quickly turned towards the door as Max walked in - alone. Trina passed Amber her cup of tea and walked over to where Max stood by the door, rubbing his face.

"So? What did he say?" Trina whispered to Max, thinking that she was far enough away from Amber that she couldn't hear. Amber had heard enough whispering behind her back in the last couple of weeks that nothing seemed to faze her.

"Kinda what I figured he would, it's his decision now… How is she doing?" Max whispered back.

"Good… really good actually… I still can't believe all of this… I mean, they were so happy…" Trina looked over to where Amber was sitting and smiled a sad smile. Amber gave the obligatory smile back then turned back to her tea.

"Hey," Max approached and put his hands on her shoulders. "I told him that I would try and convince you to head down there… think you can?"

"I don't know… he didn't exactly look happy to see me…"

"He screwed up and he knows it. He wants to make things right, but you know how he is. He's a stubborn ass but really thought he was doing the right thing," Max explained.

"Well he didn't! HE DIDN'T DO THE RIGHT THING! I can't be here! I can't do this!" Amber turned to Trina. "I'm sorry… I can't do this… I need to leave…"

"Please don't…" Amber turned towards the new voice in the room and saw Sid standing in the doorway. "Don't leave." He repeated quietly as he took another step in to the room.

"Max did I show you that new thing we got? Maybe I should… it's just in the other room…" Trina asked Max, who quickly took interest in whatever it was that Trina was talking about, leaving Sid and Amber alone in the kitchen.

"How are you?" Sid asked innocently. "No… don't answer that… that's a stupid question…"

"I'm fine," Amber snapped sharply.

"I heard you went to the Caribbean? You look tanned…" Sid asked.

"Yup," Amber nodded. Short quick answers were all that she could muster.

Sid stood and stared at the floor.

"Well if you're finished with the small talk, I am going to go… coming here was clearly a mistake… I told Max it was a stupid idea…"

"No, it wasn't…. and please don't go. I'm sorry this is awkward, I just don't know what to say…

"I don't know what you can say… what you did was –"

"Horrible. I know. I think about it every minute of every day. I panicked. Seeing you in that hospital bed was... was a pain I have never felt before. It tore a hole in me…"

"In you? I literally _had_ holes in me! How do you think I felt? Do you have any idea what I have been through? Do you know what I have had to listen to? From my parents, from Max's, from pretty much every person in Montreal? Nevermind the shit i heard in Pittsburgh!"

"I can imagine… they were probably saying everything I was saying in my head…"

"Everywhere I went, I was _that_ girl… I couldn't go anywhere or do anything…"

"I'M SORRY! I'm so sorry…" Sid couldn't hold back the tears that he had been fighting since he had seen her standing on the dock. He hated crying and he hated the number of times he had spilt tears since the accident. But he couldn't help it, he had no control. "That's why I left… I thought it would be easier for you…"

"Well it certainly wasn't! I needed you! I loved you!" Amber sobbed, the tears flowing freely.

"I know… I'm sorry… I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry, I don't know what you want me to do… but I'll do anything! Anything! I can't go back and erase it, God knows I would! I need you… I can't live without you… I know that now! Please… tell me what to do!"

"I shouldn't have to tell you what to do! You fucked this up! You fix it!"

"I want to but I don't know how!" Sid wiped his face on his sleeve. "FUCK!" He slammed his fist into the wall behind him.

"I just need to think… I just… I need to get out of here," Sid grabbed his keys off of the counter. "Stay here! Please! I will be back… I just need to think, I just need some time…"

"You're leaving?" Amber gasped. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I just need to get out of here… I can't think…" Sid ran his hands through his hair, ready to pull it out. "Come with me?"

Amber just stood in front of his, starring. Sid grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front door.

"No Sid!" she pulled her hand back.

"Come on… let's just get out of here… I need to leave but I don't want to leave you… please, just come with me!" Sid reached for both her hands, pulling them up to his chest. He couldn't contain the level of desperation in his voice.

Amber stared at him, unsure of what to do. "Where are we going?"

"I dunno… anywhere…" Sid shook his head. "Do you want a coffee?"

-.-

Sid and Amber sat silently in the uncomfortable metal chairs at Sid's nearest Tim Horton's. No one bothered him here, just the odd tourist but no one today. He just sat and held a coffee in his hands, watched her take slow sips from hers. As she put her cup down on the table, she let her hand rest, falling to the flat surface and Sid reached over and placed his hand over hers. She attempted to pull her hand away but Sid squeezed, not letting her pull away. She stared down at her hand then lowered her head. After a moment of struggling, Sid released her hand, understanding that if he couldn't force her to want to be with him. Instead he lifted his hand off hers and laid it, palm up beside hers. He watched as she looked over at his hand, debating what to do. He watched as her fingers twitched, then slowly crept over to touch his fingers. He curled his fingers up, as she allowed him to tangle his fingers with hers. It seemed like such a silly little thing, holding hands, her placing her hand in his but to him – it was everything.

Amber looked up at him and he stared into her eyes, having clarity for the first time.

"Can you forgive me?" Sid asked quietly.

"I dunno… I want to... but I dunno if I can..." Amber admitted. "It will take time..."

"I have time..." Sid offered. "As much as you need."

They returned to sitting in silence, neither one of them able to say anything and neither one of them knowing what to say.

"Do you still love me?" Sid finally broke the silence but braced himself for an answer he didn't know if he could handle. If she said no… he was pretty sure he would die on the spot. If she said yes, then everything would be alright. They could work through it – they could work through anything.

Amber just sat in front of him, starring into his eyes. He wondered if she could tell that he was holding his breath. He also wondered if she would answer before he passed out.

"Yes."

Sid got up from his chair across the table from her and took the step in closer to her, pulling her up to him and planting his lips to hers. He was afraid that she was going to push him away but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. "I love you so much…" He whispered to her as he pulled away, reaching up to brush away a stray hair that had fallen across her forehead.

"I love you too…" Amber admitted, another tear sliding down her cheek. This time Sid brushed it away with his thumb.

"No more tears, okay?" He leaned in and kissed the corner of her eye. "So where do we go from here?"

"I dunno… what do you want?" Amber asked him

"You… that's all I want… that's all I have ever wanted." Sid pulled her back to his lips, where she belonged. He had her back in his arms and he knew the rest would take care of itself.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty Three**

Sid watched as Colby had to be helped off the dance floor. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain to Burke that his best defensive forward potentially just separated his shoulder trying to break dance. It was probably a good thing that Colby hurt himself, because Max wanted to go next and he would _definitely_ have hurt himself. Hopefully, seeing that would knock some sense into him.

Sid looked across the room, as Amber placed herself between Max and the dance floor. He couldn't help but laugh as she threw her arms out to block him. Like usual Max backed down to her protests as Sid made his way over to where they were standing.

"Max, I wouldn't test her… not today," Sid warning, wrapping her arms around Amber's waist.

"I'm not going to try it… I mean, I could totally do better then Army... but because, see that shiny thing over there?" Max pointed over to the corner of the room to where the Stanley Cup sat on a cloth covered table, as if it was the guest of honour. "I want another one of those… and lets face it, you can't get it without me!"

Sid laughed, "That's right buddy, we can't!"

Yet again, Max had proven that his five year contract was worth it, as he scored the game winning goal in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals _again_, securing the Penguins their forth coveted trophy.

"But believe it or not, and I know this is hard for everyone to believe… that's not the reason we are here today," Sid laughed. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to dance with my wife."

Sid put his hand out to Amber, who placed her hand in his, while bending over to sweep the several layers of her wedding dress to the side. Sid pulled her out onto the dance floor, as the DJ switched to a slower paced song, one Sid could actually keep up to. As he swept her up into his arms, he couldn't help the giant stupid grin on his face – the same big dumb smile that he had on his face while he stood at the top of the aisle, waiting for Amber to emerge right before she took his breath away walking towards him. Everyone had teased him about it but he didn't care. He had worked hard to get to where we was and he wasn't going to make any apologies for taking a minute out to celebrate it – especially this.

"So, having fun yet?" He asked, as he pulled her close.

"Quite frankly, I am glad its almost over…" Amber admitted. "It's been a long day…"

"It's been a long week…" Sid sighed, recalling the festivities of not only the wedding but the Stanley Cup festivities and his birthday.

"Its been a long year…" Amber corrected him.

"But worth it…" Sid smiled and kissed her, lingering on her lips. He could hear the cat calls behind him as some of his teammates called out.

"Mmmm…" She moaned, enjoying the kiss and ignoring the apes behind her. "That's because you didn't have to plan a wedding…"

"Hey! I tried to help…"

"You did, you did… you picked the day… and then changed it last minute… that was certainly helpful…"

"August 8th… I'll never forget it!"

"Don't try and tell me that's why you did it!" Amber poked him in the chest. "You wanted the cup here and you know it!"

"It's a nice addition to the room, don't you think?" Sid added thoughtfully, then laughed, knowing full well that he was going to get a smack for it, as he coiled away from her as she smacked his shoulder.

"So when do we get to leave?" Amber asked, changing the subject.

"Soon enough… why? In a hurry to do something?" He whispered suggestively into her ear.

Amber smiled up at him, with a little nod.

"Oh god… I'll go check with the MC how much more we have before we can make our great escape… want some more champagne?" Sid asked, escorting her to the side of the dance floor.

"No thanks," Amber shook her head.

"Really? Have you even had any tonight? I didn't spend $300 on a bottle for you not to get any…" Sid protested, looking around for a waiter.

"Sid… I, um… can't have any champagne…"

"What? Why not?" Sid asked, totally oblivious and still have looking for someone to bring drinks to his bride.

"Well... because I hear its bad for the baby…" Amber explained with a sheepish smile.

Sid whipped his head around and looked at her. "What?" he choked out.

"I'm pregnant…" Amber whispered to him with a soft smile.

It didn't take Sid long to compute what she had said or long after that to have her in his arms, spinning her around. Amber giggled, as he spun her and held her tightly against him.

"When did you find out?" Sid asked excitedly. "You didn't say anything…"

"I know, I'm sorry… I found out a couple days ago, but just wanted to get through all this without any extra stress," Amber explained.

"How pregnant are you? I mean how far along…" Sid asked, placing his hands on her stomach, which currently was located beneath layers of the finest satin on the market.

"Eight weeks… oh, I guess nine now… still a couple of weeks before we should tell –"

"I AM HAVING A BABY!" Sid turned to his buddies and screamed at the top of his lungs. He lunged for his friends, who all excitedly surrounded him.

"So much for that…" Amber breathed, before joining the round of celebrations, being surrounded by people congratulating her, hugging her and touching her stomach. _'Ugh, the infamous stomach touching,'_ she moaned in her head, looking around for a way out of the crowd. She soon found her escape path, and started moving through the crowd of people that had formed around her and Sid, all offering their congratulations. As she slipped out of the crowd, she was blocked by a familiar chest.

"I hear congratulations is in order?" Max smiled at her, extending his arms to her.

Amber nodded and stepped into his arms.

"I am soooo happy for you," Max leaned back and made eye contact. "I mean that. You deserve this and I just wanted to say how sorry I am for - "

"Stop!" Amber insisted, putting her hand over his mouth. "It's in the past. Just leave it there and move forward."

"You're right… after all, I'm going to be an uncle…"

"The best uncle…"

"An uncle that makes sure his nephew never turns into a guy like me…"

"Oh, you're not so bad… And besides, what if it's a girl?"

"Then I'm the uncle that makes sure his niece NEVER goes out with a guy like me…"

"Damn straight!" Amber laughed and pushed past him. Max watched her walk away, her white dress trailing behind her and he felt a pain in his heart. Not the same pain that he had felt before, the jealous or angry pain but a new pain, a pain of longing, not for her really but for even a fraction of what Sid and her had.

Max's head turned as one of Amber's friends, the one with the great rack, walked past - her tight little dress hugging every curve. Maybe he could see if it would be with her… it was a start anyway.

-_fin_-

_*I know this probably isn't the ending most were expecting but i have thought long and hard about how, or if, i should expose Max's secret and determined that it was a secret that nobody would ever confess to, ever. Please tell me what you think of my first ever fan fiction! _


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